Thirty Saturdays
by karc
Summary: Draco Malfoy woke up. This would normally be a great thing if he wasn't waking up to the same day, everyday, for the past thirty days. Post-Hogwarts. DM/HG
1. Death of an Ex-Deatheater

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

* * *

**Saturday Number One**

Draco woke up, his silver eyes fluttering against the blinding sunlight that seeped through his windows. He frowned, realising that his mother must have been in his room because he never slept with his curtains open. He rolled his eyes at his mother's antics.

Narcissa Malfoy was getting old—though not necessarily any less beautiful. She constantly fussed about Draco, desperately clinging onto her only child, refusing for him to grow up. She'd coddle him every chance she'd get: open his curtains, fix his tie, fuss over his breakfast.

Draco now strode out of his bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He had just pulled up his pants when there was a knock on the door.

"Draco, are you awake?"

"Yes, mother," Draco answered dutifully and once again rolled his eyes at the woman.

"Can I come in?" Narcissa asked already turning the knob the same time Draco pulled on his top.

"No, but you're going to anyway," Draco said as he kissed his mother good morning on the forehead.

"You're going out today?"

"I work"

"Even on Saturdays?"

"I'm a healer, mother. We don't get weekends off."

It was true. The Death eater had become a healer over the course of six years. He kept his head down and worked hard and soon people started tolerating his presence—only a few accepted it. Sure people respected him now as a healer but he knew that they only did that out of fear—they didn't really respect him, they were just scared that one day they might need his services and he won't give it.

Narcissa nodded, "Oh, I just thought we could spend the day together"

Draco sighed, "I said no, mother"

The Malfoy matriarch's smiled sadly "Well, breakfast is on the table. It's your favorite. I made it myself, I hope it still tastes good. I haven't been around the kitchen in a while"

The Slytherin groaned, "Mother, for the last time I'm _twenty-three_. You don't have to wake up to make me breakfast"

He had been dying to move out but before he could even do that his mother would come up with some way to make him feel horrible about his decision to do so.

Narcissa huffed and turned to go, "Well your father isn't complaining"

Draco laughed softly at her retreating figure, "Well, since you offered…"

xxx

Breakfast was delicious though the Slytherin could not say the same about his "patient" right now. In his office sat Harry Potter: savior of the Wizarding world. There was nothing wrong with him, Draco just hated seeing him, although, lately Potter was becoming a permanent fixture in his life—unfortunately.

"Ah, Potter. Come to get your uterus checked?" Draco said as he strode in plopping his suitcase on his desk and taking a seat behind it.

"Do you greet all your patients that way?"

"Well, I _do_ work in a maternity ward. Now please, end both our agonies and just tell me what you want"

Harry's pursed his lips into a straight line, clearly biting back the next rude words that would come out of his mouth, "As much as I'd hate to say it, I need your help"

Draco smirked and Harry didn't need for him to speak to know the small victory the Slytherin was feeling.

"Look, I wouldn't be here if Pansy didn't talk me into coming. Of all the healers in the world, she wants you"

"After all these years, eh?"

"Please don't give me a reason to hex you. I'm Head Auror if you haven't already forgotten it. I'll hex you _and_ get away with it"

"Touchy, are we? You Potter, should learn how to take a joke. I have no desire whatsoever to get with your wife"

"So are you going to help me or not?"

"No, I don't think that I will."

It wasn't that he didn't want to help, it was that it didn't feel right to be the one to deliver _that_ baby—the boy-who-lived's offspring. So it had been selfish of him to refuse Pansy's—one of his truest best friend's, only request. But he was known to be selfish anyway why should this matter any greater.

The war hero nodded stiffly and stood up, "You know Malfoy, this would really mean a lot her"

Draco waved his hand dismissively as Harry walked towards the door.

The healer watched Potter disappear beyond the doorway to his office. Why on earth Pansy decided to marry that wanker was beyond him. But he guessed things changed and people change. He couldn't really blame her for seeking her bit of happiness in the messy world the war left them in. He went on to become a Healer—the complete opposite of his bleak Death eater future, and Pansy went on to become Mrs. Potter.

Someone rapped on his door, "Malfoy? You going out to lunch?"

The ex-death eater sighed. It was common knowledge in St. Mungo's that Draco Malfoy took his lunch outside the hospital. In fact he was one of the very few who still did that given the time constraint but Draco refused to eat in the same place where he sees people die on a daily basis. When the staff picked up on his eating behaviors the used it to their advantage: Malfoy pick this up, Malfoy could you deliver this, Malfoy swing by the apothecary—it was also basic knowledge that the Malfoy's owned the apothecary.

"What is it this time?" the Healer groaned

His colleague smiled sheepishly, "Just a couple of ingredients from the apothecary. I wouldn't ask you if I really didn't need the help. But I have shift soon and since you're going out…"

"Give it here," Draco sighed as he signaled for the list

"I owe you one"

"You always say that and I have yet to receive any favors from you"

"Oh you'll think of something you'll want from me," the healer wiggled his eyebrows at the Malfoy

"Are you hitting on me, Johnson?"

"I have a wife, thank _you_ very much"

"Yes, unfortunately. Everyone seems to have a wife these days"

"You should get one"

"You sound like my mother"

xxx

After attending to three _actual_ patients Draco grabbed his coat and set of to Diagon Alley for his solitary lunch. Occasionally Abbot would join him if she found the time to but on most days he sat at Rosa Lee Teabag's alone. The café's door opened to a bell's jingle and Draco took his usual seat by the window.

He smiled at the waitress and she was only too willing to serve him his regular of smoked salmon on bagel and tea. He could almost hear his mother's voice scolding him on how unhealthy he was eating. He was about to lean in to take another bite of his bagel when a flash of red appeared before him and a woman took a seat in front of him.

"Do you lot pride yourselves for appearing where you're not wanted?" Draco asked quite pleasantly

The red-head scowled at the Slytherin, "Look Malfoy, I went to your office and they told me that you would be here. I need your help"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "Weasley, I'm on my lunch break. St. Mungo's is crawling with healers. I'm sure one of them can assist you"

The youngest Weasley replied quite fiercely, "No they can't"

"What is it then?"

The red-head squirmed in her seat, "Well, that's…"

Draco studied the girl in front him. Ginny Weasley had become a remarkable woman. She was one of he strongest witches to graduate from Hogwarts, she played professional Quidditch and now she's even thinking of becoming a Quidditch correspondent. In fact, the only time she had ever disappointed her parents was when she didn't get married to Harry Potter.

There was a point wherein she once loved Harry but the more they stayed together the more she doubted her feelings. In the end their young love faded out and they went their separate ways. Both were heart broken but both understood that they couldn't force themselves to love each other just because they thought that they should.

"You have cancer" Draco spoke casually

Ginny flinched, she barely even felt if the Slytherin had cast a charm on her, "How…?"

"I'm a healer"

The Gryffindor refused to meet his eyes. It was humiliating for her having to look weak in front of enemy and having to bow down to him. But she had to because he was her best chance at living. It was two months ago that she saw the article about Draco Malfoy being the first healer to find a cure for wizard's cancer. His first patient had been his mother.

"I'm sorry, Weasley but I can't help you"

"But-!"

Draco stood up to leave, "I can't. I work at the maternity ward. You're best off asking for help in the fatal diseases section."

He walked away from the red-head leaving her staring after him. The death eater sighed as he weaved his way towards the apothecary. He couldn't understand why all of the sudden everyone was seeking out his help as if he was the last healer on earth.

For the last six years he had carried on alone. He didn't do favors for people and they didn't do favors for him. People called him selfish and heartless but he didn't mind. He didn't want to be burdened that somewhere out there he owed a person or that person owed him something.

It was bad enough that people were stepping around him, the death eater extraordinaire, but to have them treat him _nicely_ because they felt they owe him something made him feel worse about himself—as if that was the only reason anyone could ever like him. Not that he particularly cared.

Draco paid for the ingredients and headed back down to the Leaky Cauldron to floo back to work. He was really late but he didn't care, his mind was clouded with Potter and Weasley. It really puzzled him as to why they had both come to him on the same day.

He was brought back into reality when deafening screams surrounded him. He look up from his deep thoughts and someone screamed, "look out!" He saw a pair of chocolate brown eyes on the witch standing by the doorway of Flourish and Blotts gaping at him in horror. Then his end came at 2:15 pm as a loose piece of roofing from the bookstore came down towards him.

* * *

A/N: The plot of this was inspired by the movie Groundhog Day. Well, just by the time aspect actually on how he was stuck reliving the same day, everyday.


	2. Repeat

**Saturday Number Three**

Draco woke up gasping. He had the most horrible dream where he had been flattened. His heart throbbed painfully against his chest and he clutched at it hoping that it would fade away.

"Draco, darling are you alright?" Narcissa called through the door

"Just fine mother. Did you open my curtains again? It's so bloody bright in here"

The Malfoy Matriarch opened the door, "Language, Draco"

Draco rolled his eyes at the woman. Oh she absolutely _loved_ it when she had a reason to scold him.

"Now why don't you come down and have some breakfast with your father and I? I made your favorite myself"

"No, time. I'm late"

"Late for what? It's Saturday"

"For the last time, Mother. I'm a healer and we don't get weekends off," Draco explained as he disappeared through his bathroom

"Oh, I was hoping we'd be able to spend some time together"

Draco winced as he detected the sadness in his mother's voice, "Maybe next time"

"You promise?" Narcissa looked up at her son as he walked out of the bathroom his tie still undone

"I promise—mother! I am twenty three, I am perfectly capable of tying my own tie!"

Narcissa huffed and strode out of his room with her nose in the air. Draco shook his head at his mother's antics.

xxx

Draco was certainly glad that he didn't have time for breakfast because he would've vomited it out the minute he walked into his office and found Harry Potter sitting there.

"Ah, Potter. Come to get your uterus checked?" He said as he strode in his office and seating himself behind the table

"Do you greet all your patients this way?"

Draco was caught off-guard for a minute as the war hero's voice rung in his head. It triggered this uncomfortable feeling inside him, like he had already had this conversation before, which he quickly shook off.

"Only to those that I dislike. To what to I owe this visit from the great Potter?"

Harry looked like he was about to say something rude but he held it together as he spoke carefully, "I need your help"

Draco smirked. _Ah sweet, shallow victory._

"Look, I wouldn't be asking you this if Pansy hadn't talked me into it. Of all the healers, she wanted _you_"

"After all these years, eh?"

"Don't give me a reason to hex you. I'm head Auror—"

"Yes you make it impossible for me to forget. And don't worry Potter. I have no desire to get with your wife."

Harry's lips formed a thin line, "So are you going to help or not?"

Draco opened his mouth prepared to say no but the tugging at the back of his mind wouldn't go away. He found himself saying yes to Potter.

"I'm only doing this for Parkinson"

Harry nodded stiffly and stood up, "Thank you. I know this would mean a lot to her"

Draco waved his hand dismissively and Harry left through the front door and the healer was left alone with his own thoughts.

xxx

Lunchtime came and Draco made his way down to Rose Lee Teabags. It was a miracle of all miracles as none of the other healers asked him to fetch anything for them on his way there. _Just as well! Who do they think I am, a bloody elf?_

Rose Lee's was empty save for his usual seat by the window where a red-head woman was sitting.

"Weasley, you're in my seat"

Ginny Weasley whirled around surprised, "Malfoy! I was just waiting for you. The healer's at St. Mungo's said you'd be here and I guess I just beat you here…"

Draco took a seat in front of the Weasley the same time the waitress set down his plate of bagels in front him.

"I need your help"

"I'm on my lunch break as you might already have figured out. Go to St. Mungo's, it's literally crawling with available healers"

"Please, you're the only one who can help me"

"That would be an insult to all the fine healers at St. Mungo's. Though, I don't know why I'm defending them seeing as never really got on with them save for Abbot"

"You don't understand. Only _you_ can help me"

"What makes you think, I'd help you?"

"Well, you helped Harry and I thought—"

Draco stared hard at the woman. Something about this seemed wrong and the familiar notion that this already happened shot back in his head. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up, "Sorry I can't"

Ginny jumped to her feet, "Malfoy, please!"

But it was already too late as he was already out the door and pushing through the Saturday Diagon Alley crowed. The Weasley ran after him. He walked even faster as her calls got louder. He had just walked past Flourish and Blotts when he heard dozens of people scream. Then he heard Ginny Weasley scream herself and cut off by a loud thud. He whirled around as saw her lying on the pavement bleeding out, the bookshop's roof slicing open her stomach.

"Ginny!" a familiar voice screeched as a mane of bushy brown hair darted out from the doorway of the bookstore. Draco just looked on in horror.

"Malfoy! Snap out of it you're a bloody healer, help her!" Hermione Granger screamed at him, her chocolate brown eyes boring into his silver ones. The death eater quickly jumped into action as he applied what charms he could to keep the Weasley alive.

Soon the crowd was getting thicker as the woman bled out on the streets.

"What's happening?" the Gryffindor cried frantically

"She's losing too much blood," Draco explained

"Well do something!"

"I'm doing the best I can!"

Suddenly a familiar voice ripped through the crowd's deafening murmers.

"Hermione? Hermione? What's wrong? I got your patronus—GINNY!" a flash of red darted from the crowd

Ron Weasley fell to his knees and cradled his baby sister's head. Ginny smiled up at him, life swiftly moving through her eyes. Her breath was ragged and uneven and then it was still. Everything was still.

"You…you did this didn't you!" Ron looked furiously as the ex-death eater as he whipped out his wand.

"Ron! No, it was an accident!" The muggle-born tried to calm her best friend down but it was too late as the Weasley sent the killing curse upon the unprepared Slytherin and he crumpled to the pavement, dead, at 2:35 pm that day.

* * *

A/N: Skipped saturday number two because it happened the exact same way (though this rule doesn't apply for all the other days that I might skip.)


	3. Waking Up To the Cycle

**Saturday Number four**

Draco's body felt like a corpse that morning. He didn't know why his body felt so stiff as he tried to stretch out his joints and muscles.

"Draco, darling?" a knock came from the door, "Are you up yet?"

"Yes, mother. Come in"

The Malfoy Matriarch strode in, "You're still in bed"

"I feel horrible—and no mother I that is _not_ permission to coddle me," The Slytherin reminded Lady Malfoy sternly as he tried to get up

"If you're feeling horrible, shouldn't you be staying in bed?"

"Mother, I already told you. I'm a healer and we don't get day offs on Saturday—"

Draco stopped himself. Something was wrong, horribly wrong. And it wasn't because of the fact that he felt like a hippogriff had landed on him.

"Draco is there something the matter?"

"Mother what day is it?"

"It's Saturday. You just said"

"And yesterday?"

"It was Friday—Draco are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, yes. I really must leave now mother," Draco said hastily as he jumped into the bathroom and hurriedly changed for work.

"Draco dear would you like to have some—"

"Breakfast?" Draco said in unison with his mother

Narcissa looked confused.

"I can't. There's no time" Draco said hastily as he kissed his mother goodbye, "See you later" and he was flying out the door, his coat billowing behind him.

He didn't use the floo this time. He took the long way and walked to the nearest transport area. He needed to clear his head. He came by a bus stop and sat down the bench ignoring the dirty looks the bus drivers would give him when he wouldn't get on.

It was all so foggy and confusing right now, he couldn't understand why but he felt strongly that this had already happened to him before. He took out a small pocket journal and a pen—the only muggle thing he carried, out of his suitcase and jotted down his foggy dreams—or memories.

"Let's see, I wake up at around 9:00 to my open curtains. Mother comes knocking and offers me breakfast. We always have this conversation about me having to go to work. I get to work at around 10:30 in the morning. I step in and I see…"

xxx

"Potter," Draco said weakly from the front door of his office. He was hoping that he had been wrong. He shakily approached his table and laid down suitcase and took seat behind it, "What can I do for you?"

Draco cast a silent spell at his journal and pen and it scribbled furiously underneath his desk as it recorded every word that was being said.

Harry raised his eyebrow at him, "I need your help"

_No, I think I'm the one who needs help._

"Yes, but before that. What day is it, Potter?"

"Saturday…?"

"And we've never seen each other before this day right?"

"Not since my wedding with Pansy—what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. You were saying?"

"I was saying, that I—"

"Need your help," Draco said along with Harry

Harry narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin, "Yeah...and I wouldn't be asking you this if Pansy hadn't insisted—"

"Out of all the healers, she wanted you," The healer finished with the Chosen one again. Draco grew pale as everything he feared this morning was turning into reality.

"Okay, what is going on. Are you reading my mind right now? Have you hexed me without knowing?" The boy-who-lived demanded angrily.

"I'm..uh...good at reading people," Draco lied pathetically.

Harry watched the Slytherin suspiciously

"Do you feel odd? Like this has happened before?"

"Malfoy, whatever you're playing at—"

"Never mind," Draco said hastily, "I'll do it. You can leave now"

Harry Potter narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin as he tried to figure out his grand evil scheme behind this behavior.

"Didn't you hear me, Potter? I said leave"

The war hero nodded and stood up, "Thank you. This—"

"Means a lot to Pansy," the healer said in unison with Potter again, "Yeah, yeah,"

Draco waved the-boy-who-lived dismissively as buried his head on his hands.

_Maybe I've gone insane_.

Draco shot up from his seat and headed out. He bumped into Healer Johnson on his way out of his office.

"Hey Malfoy, isn't it a bit too early for lunch? You have patients in line"

"Cover for me. I need to go see Abbot"

xxx

Hannah Abbot worked in the mental ward. Draco hated going there because the patients who stayed there usually reminding him of his late Aunt Bellatrix—except less murderous.

"Let me get this straight, you want me to scan your brain?" Hannah asked him slowly as if repeating it would change its meaning.

"Look Abbot, I really wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't important"

"Alright," the Healer said hesitantly, "Lie on the bed. And honestly, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Hannah?"

Draco merely shrugged and did as he was told and he closed his eyes. He secretly hoped that the healer would tell him that he was crazy. That would be better than knowing that _this—_whatever this was, was actually happening to him. Losing his mind was a lot easier to understand at this point.

"What brought this mental health check-up anyway?"

"Curiousity"

Hannah frowned at him as she finished up her examination, "Like I said Draco, there's nothing wrong with you. You're not crazy"

Draco sighed as he sat up on the bed, "Are you sure? Maybe there's some mental illness that can't be detected with those charms?"

"Are you questioning my skills?"

"Not necessarily. Are they questionable?"

"Enough! Seriously Draco what is going on with you today?"

"Nothing. Maybe everything. Nothing. I've got to go. I have to meet someone for lunch"

"Oh? You have someone to eat with today?" Hannah smiled, genuinely happy for him

"Yeah," Draco drawled, "Ginny Weasley"

xxx

Draco sat in Rose Lee Teabag's hunched over his notebook as he poured the rest of his memories on it. On the table were two sets of smoked salmon on bagel and tea. He took a sip as he sat back and admired his work. He had so meticulously listed down everything he could remember event the time that he remembered it happen.

She was late and he secretly prayed to every Wizarding God he knew about for her to not show up—even though in the back of his head he knew she was coming. _Please universe, prove me wrong._

The bell to the café jingled and Draco looked up just in time to see the red-head approach him. _The curse of being right all the time._

"Took you long enough, your food's cold"

The Weasley was taken aback as she fumbled with her seat. Draco took a sip and studied her.

"Malfoy—"

"You need my help and I'm the only that can help you"

"Yes…how did you know I was going to ask?"

"Everyone seems to be asking me that a lot today"

"Well?"

Draco shrugged, "Eat your bagels"

Ginny stared at him before tucking in her unusual lunch.

"Since when have you had cancer?" Draco asked

"I don't—"

"Don't bother hiding it from me. Like you said, I'm the only one that can help"

"A year ago," She answered quietly

"Magical or Muggle?"

"Magical"

"Death or Insanity?"

"Death"

"And you let it develop this long?" Draco asked frustratedly although it came out less as a question, more as a scolding.

Magical cancer was a lot harder to treat than muggle cancer. Every witch and wizard has a magical core within them—the problem is that this core is intangible. Unlike muggle cancer where you get to work with actual body parts, this magical cancer thrives on a person's subconscious making it harder to actually reach and treat.

There are two outcomes known to the victims of this type of cancer: one, the rogue magic poisons their mind sending them into the brink of insanity, destroying any semblance of the wizard or the witch whatsoever. The second would be the rogue magic seeping way past the mind, destroying the body from within—this results in death. Draco personally prefers death.

"Who knows about this?"

"Well, including you…just one"

"You need to tell someone"

"I'm telling you"

"I don't count. I don't like you."

Ginny smiled, "I don't want them to worry. Please...I'll tell them, just not now"

Draco stared hard at the woman once more, "Any immediate concerns I should know about?"

The girl shook her head, "Just that sometimes I get these lapses that I don't know who I am or where I am. Sometimes I forget how to do simple tasks like walking or holding something"

The healer frowned at the Weasley. No matter what he does for her today it won't matter. Everything will just reset again tomorrow and he'd be back in this café with her talking about the same thing.

"Thank you Malfoy. I should be going now," Ginny said as she slowly stood up.

"Wait, I'll go walk you," The Slytherin said hesitantly reminded of her gruesome death in his dream—memory!

"What?" The Weasley asked shocked

"Just making sure," Draco said casually

"Okay…? I just need to pass by Flourish and Blotts. I promised Hermione I'd come say hello—"

"NO!" Draco blurted out

Ginny raised her eyebrow, "You're not still hung up on all this muggle-born business are you?"

"What? I wasn't even. Why does everyone assume—whatever. Fine let's just go"

The Malfoy and the Weasley walked side by side in silence towards the dreaded bookstore. Draco kept his eyes on the sky as he watched the rooftop with great attention. He didn't take his eyes off of it until they were safely inside. He looked at his watch: 2:35 pm it read and he hasn't died. He started to relax a little.

"Ginny!" The muggle-born greeted as the two girls hugged. Draco could feel the Gryffindor princess eye him, "What's _he_ doing here?"

"_He_ can hear you perfectly, " Draco drawled, "And I'll have you know that I'm Weasley's—"

Ginny shot him a look.

"Er…friend's healer," Draco said slowly, "One of the Hollyhead Harpies got knocked up

"Oh really? Who?" The witch's face scrunched up as she genuinely tried to figure out who it was.

"Can't say. Patient-healer confidentiality," the Healer said smugly

Hermione rolled his eyes and turned to her best girl friend, "I'm so glad you stopped by even for a little while. You've been so busy with your Quidditch I barely get to see you! You weren't even there last Sunday in Molly's brunch."

Ginny laughed weakly, "Oh you know how it is with training. Our season is coming up"

The muggle-born nodded her head, "You're so great by the way and—will you stop that!"

Draco jumped from his spot. He had been impatiently shifting from one foot to the other while noisily touching everything on the reception desk making a million clink, clink, clink sounds.

"This is boring," Draco groaned

"Then leave, why are you still here anyway?"

"I promised to take the Weaslette home"

"Why do you need to take her home?" Hermione raised her eyebrow at him

"Just in case" Draco said vaguely. _She dies._

"Well could you be annoying somewhere else?" Hermione snapped

"Hermione, really it's alright. I have to go anyway. I have to meet with the girls soon. Training," Ginny explained

Hermione reluctantly left her glaring contest with the ferret and bid her friend goodbye. She walked them towards the door and Draco and Ginny went on their way. They were only a few steps away from the bookstore when Hermione called out to them. Draco did not like the spot where she was standing.

"Ginny, I forgot to tell you—"

"HERMIONE!" Ginny screamed

As if on instinct—although Draco could not understand from where he could have gotten the instinct to save an annoying muggle-born know-it-all, the Slytherin lunged towards the Gryffindor and pushed her out of the way. And once again Draco found himself under the insufferable piece of roofing.

Hermione frantically tried to stop the bleeding although her healing knowledge was limited—even if she practically read thousands of books about it. She grabbed Draco's face and demanded him to stay awake. He mustered his remaining strength to utter his final words to the Gryffindor.

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?"

Draco Malfoy was announced dead at 3:15 p.m.


	4. Time Loops

**Saturday Number Five**

Draco woke up gasping. He hurriedly peeled off his blankets and frantically groped at his stomach. He sighed with relief seeing as it was still intact and not split in half. He lied back down and breathed heavily as he stared at the ceiling. He needed answers and he needed them fast.

He quickly got on his feet and went out of his room, not bothering to change out of his pajamas, and headed down to the Malfoy Manor's library.

"Draco, darling are you in here?"

Draco groaned inwardly as he leaned his forehead against the bookshelf. He was perched on the ladder tossing books left and right that his loyal house elves immediately picked up.

"Yes, mother"

"I looked everywhere for you—where _are_ you anyway?" Narcissa's melodic tone floated in the library

The Slytherin popped his head out around the bookshelf, "Over here, mother"

The Malfoy Matriarch smiled at him before giving him a look of confusion as she saw the mess Draco was making, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Researching"

"On what?"

"Mother," Draco said ignoring his Narcissa's inquiry, "Do we have any books on time travel or that sort of thing?"

"No, I don't think we have. In my time we never delved into the magic of manipulating time or controlling it. We just predict time and it's events. The closest we've gotten were time-turners but still those still work in very limited parameters—not to mention, they're really rare"

"How rare?"

"Only one exists"

"Hmm…but that would need a device to control. Do you know of any time-altering magical phenomenon?"

"I already said Draco, we didn't have those studies before"

"Not even in the dark arts?"

"Don't you dare go poking around the dark arts section! And what is with all these questions?"

"My friend…he's going to die. I need to find a way to reverse it"

"Well you could always try Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes's A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter" Narcissa said as a-matter-of-factly

Draco blinked at his mother. _Sometimes she was just as bad as Granger...hey maybe __**she**__ knows—no. Screw Granger, I can figure this out myself. Me, Draco Malfoy, asking for help from a muggle-born? Ha! I'd bet she'd __**love**_ _that! _Draco shuddered as he realized he was thinking about Hermione.

"Er…yeah…sure."

"Well, why don't you come down from there and have breakfast with your father and I?"

"No time. I have to go," Draco said as he hopped off the ladder and headed out the library

"Go where?"

"Work"

**xxx**

Draco apparated in Hogsmeade and stood still for a while as he looked up at the looming silhouette of Hogwarts. He had lied about going to work that day but he found the thought of work completely unimportant compared to the fact that he was going to die later that day.

The Slytherin looked at his watch, 10:30. He was supposed to be meeting with Potter by now. He wondered what the reprecussions of not following routine would be.

He looked up at the castle once again. _Never thought I'd be back here in a while,_ he muttered to himself

The castle remained the way he remembered as it has been fully restored. The great hall looked as cheerful as ever, the ghosts were still unpleasant to walk through and the paintings were still incredibly nosy. Just then a group of first year Gryffindor passed by him. One little boy stopped and looked back at him.

"Hey you're Draco Malfoy right?"

Draco smiled at little boy—a habit he picked up working at a maternity ward.

"I hope you die, Deatheater!" the little boy scowled at him

Draco's smile fell and he slowly leaned in towards the boy. His eyes fell on a piece of parchment that was protruding from the boy's potions book. He read the name off of it and smirked at the boy.

"I know where you live, _Jonah Higgs,_" The Slytherin Alumni said in a low, menacing tone

The boy looked up at the former Deatheater in horror, surprised that he had known his name, "How—how did you…You can't…you'll go to Azkaban—"

"Malfoy what are you doing here? Higgs get to class!"

"But he just threatened to kill me!" the little boy tattled

"I hardly doubt it. Malfoy is a healer now"

The boy look up at the Deatheater and eyed him suspiciously as the Slytherin grinned down at him. After a few moments the Gryffindor boy turned around and left.

"Really Malfoy? Still terrorizing Hogwarts?"

The Slytherin looked at the source of the voice a smirked, "Just like old times, eh, Longbottom? Or should I say professor?"

"I hardly doubt you came here to exchange pleasantries with me"

"Wow, two sentences. You could barely get a word out to me before"

"I'm different now. I'm a professor. And I'm no longer afraid of you" Neville added carefully

"Why would you be afraid of me?"

"You were mean to me? You bullied me? You were a Deatheater?"

"Nonsense. We had some fun times"

"Name one"

"Well…uh…Oh! I got it, remember that Remembrall business back in first year?"

"That was only fun for you"

Draco laughed, "Yeah…"

"Seriously Malfoy, why are you here?"

"I need to see Professor—I mean, Headmistress Mcgonagal. I need to borrow some books from the library"

"For your job at St. Mungo's? Don't they have a library there?"

"It's none of your business. Now can I be on my way or did you want to stand here and talk about our non-existent childhood friendship?"

"I'll walk with you. I'm headed the same way anyway. It would feel kind of odd to say goodbye to you now then have to walk a few inches away from you all the way there"

Draco sighed with exasperation, "Fine."

**xxx**

"So do you see Hannah a lot?"

"Who?" Draco glanced at the Gryffindor from the corner of his eye

"Abbot? Hannah Abbot? Do you see her a lot in St. Mungo's?" Neville repeated. The two were walking a comfortable pace towards the headmistress's office.

"Oh Abbot. Yeah, what about her?"

"How is she?"

"Professor Longbottom do you have the hots for Healer Abbot?"

"What, no!"

Draco lifted his eyebrow at the red-faced Gryffindor

"Look I'm just asking because we were really close friends before and I haven't seen her in a while"

"Uh huh," Draco said slowly

"I just wanted to know if she was doing okay."

"Hmm"

"You know, like every good friend would like to know about their other good friend"

"Sure."

"…"

"…"

"Please don't tell her"

"I have better things to do than meddle in people's affairs"

"Thanks, Malfoy"

Draco shrugged, "I always thought you were…you know…"

"I am _not_ into men if that's what you're getting at"

"I don't know," Draco said thoughtfully, "The long looks you give Potter—"

"Alright, were here!" Neville quickly cut the Slytherin's train of thought as he ushered him in the gargoyle staircase. Draco smirked as the Herbology professor gave him a look of frustration as he disappeared from his view.

**xxx**

"Mr. Malfoy, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The headmistress peered at her former student.

"I need to get a hold of some information. I was hoping to gain access to the Library, I'm afraid the one I have at home doesn't have the information that I need."

"Information regarding what?"

"Professor, are you aware of any time-related magic?"

"Time is the oldest force in magic. It is nearly impossible to manipulate—and very dangerous. Is this something I should be concerned about?"

The Slytherin shook his head, "It's nothing alarming. But there is still tangible magic to connect to time isn't there? Like the time-turner?"

"Yes, but that is unstable and dangerous magic to deal with. Change too much and the results can be catastrophic"

The former Deatheater frowned in deep thought, "No, that's definitely not what I'm after. Time-turners are controlled time alterations. I'm more curious about the ones that happen without influence…so, about the Library?"

"Yes you may use it though I doubt Madam Pince would let you take books out of the castle. Do no make me regret my hospitality, Mr. Malfoy. Whatever you're up to."

"Thank you, Professor"

"I hope you find what you need"

The Slytherin slightly bowed and turned to walk towards the door.

"And Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, professor?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't terrify any of my students again"

**xxx**

Draco Malfoy's search in the Hogwarts library was coming up as fruitless as his search in the manor. So far he had found 50 books about death, defying death or death reversals; 35 books on animal care; 67 books on plants; at some point he had found a discarded Quidditch magazine and started reading _that _instead.

He was in the point of giving up when he lazily picked up the next book on the pile. This book looked different. For one, it was hand-written in small, neat, cursive letters. Draco frowned and sat up on his chair and read the title: Time loops, Their properties and behaviors. He flipped to the last page. _Who the hell hand-writes a 900 page book?_

The Slytherin looked for the author's name and frowned once again at it's absence. He got up and walked towards Madam Pince.

"Excuse me, do you know who wrote this?"

The librarian carefully took the book from Draco and peered at it. Her face broke into a soft, fond smile, "Well it says it right here. The Brightest Witch of Her Age"

Draco's heart dropped as he frantically followed the librarian's finger past the ten-page introduction. There on the bottom of the page was signed, _Hermione Jean Granger_.

"Fuck"

**xxx**

"So…why are you here again?"

"I need your help"

Hermione Granger stared at the Slytherin and then started laughing.

Draco stood there impatiently waiting for her to finish. He did _not_ like being in this bookstore seeing as he had now died four times because of it since he woke up in this nightmare.

"Oh you were being serious" Hermione said as she caught the look on Draco's face, "What makes you think I'd help you?"

"You have to! I've looked everywhere. And you're the only one who's ever written a book about _this_" Draco gestured to the air around him

"What book?"

"That 900-page monstrosity you wrote by hand?"

"You mean about the time-loops thing? I wrote that for extra credit. Plus I wanted to do research on time inconsistencies…never did get to publish that thing for real. No one really believed in them."

"Look I'm not leaving here until you give me what I want"

Hermione studied the Slytherin. Somehow she believed him. He had always been a determined little ferret before and she certainly didn't want him coming back here everyday, "Fine. Tell me exactly what happened. And sit down, your constant fidgeting and pacing is driving me crazy"

The Slytherin threw another worried glance towards the door and sat down, "I keep waking up to the same day. The events are the same. Some conversations happen differently depending on how I respond to them"

"How does your day end?"

"I die. On most days I die by having the roof of your bloody bookstore fall on top of me. I remember dying once by Weasel's hand."

"Ron murdered you?"

"Yeah well, there was one day when the roofing had landed on Weaslette instead and you called Weasley and Weasley thought I did it."

"Why were you with Ginny?"

"That's not the point! Tell me how to fix this!"

"Alright, Alright" Hermione muttered, "Most time loops happen because of unconscious deep desires. For example there was a witch named Melinda Bobbin whose husband died. In her grief she trapped herself reliving her happiest day with him again and again. It nearly took a year for her to get out of it. Those kind of time loops can be broken if they can bring themselves to move on or let go of that particular sequence of their life"

Draco silently sat as he let the witch continue.

"Your time loop is quite different and rare. You can't just will this one to go. Your time loop involved your own personal death and is playing on the fragile line of your fate and existence. So, on that first Saturday that you woke up, you actually died."

"What?" Draco choked out, "Then why am I…"

"That's the interesting part. Somehow Time wouldn't let you crossover. Instead of letting you die, it looped your day since you couldn't go forward anymore. In the real timeline, your body is probably deteriorating as we speak. You're probably bleeding out in a hospital."

"So this is all happening in my head?"

"No exactly. More like you exist at two timelines at the same time. Sort of like using a time-turner, two Draco Malfoys exist right now. One is the one in the real timeline and the other one is you or the "time-traveller" one.

"But why?"

"My guess? Unfinished business."

Draco snorted.

"I'm serious. Maybe you're here because you're meant to still do something. Everyone has this life path. Well what if more than one is connected to you? What if you were meant to live longer to change more than one life and your death really was just an unjustified accident? Time is really, really old magic. Even in my 900 pages, I still couldn't grasp how it chooses to whom it bestow its gifts to."

"Right. So I'm supposed to change lives and be a regular do-gooder and appease the god of time?

"I don't know. But whatever it is, Time must've wanted you to rewrite this day. And whatever you need to do I suggest you do it fast. These time loops don't last forever. If you haven't corrected what needs to be corrected by then you die for real this time"

"How long do I have exactly?"

"A month"

"A month?"

Hermione nodded, "Thirty days to be exact. That's how a long a loop cycle lasts."

"How can I possibly do everything in a month!"

"You don't have to do _everything_. Look back at your first Saturday and list down the last people you saw. Chances are, those are the life paths that cross yours"

And what could anyone possibly want from me?"

Hermione suddenly had this serious look on her face that made Draco feel uneasy. He squirmed in his seat and looked out the window instead.

"A lot of people need you, you just don't know it"

"What are you—This is _bullshit._ Is this just some sick ploy of trying to get me to help Potter and Weasley?"

"Harry?"

"That's what this is right? Trying to trick me into doing favors for you lot and helping you out!"

"If my memory serves me correctly. _You_ asked _me_ for help and not the other way around," Hermione spat back, "And I know nothing about Harry and Ginny asking you for help!"

"That's it! This is just some sick joke. Making me think that I'm dead. I'll just wait in here and let the danger pass"

"Malfoy, that's not—"

_CRASH_.

Draco and Hermione quickly stood up from their spot and looked out the window. The bookstore's roofing had come crashing down and spilled on the pavement. Fortunately this time, no one was hurt.

"Ha! See Granger! Death evaded!"

"Malfoy, fate doesn't work that way. It will still catch up with you—it's bound to happen. Dying by roof was just coincidence since that was how you originally died. The longer you stay in this loop the more your deaths will progress."

"Whatever, Granger. Stick your logic up your a—"

The bookstore's chandelier came crashing down on Draco Malfoy. Hermione kneeled down to the dying Slytherin as he choked on the pain.

"Don't…you…dare…fucking…say…it," He gritted at her

"I wasn't even going to!" Hermione protested defensively

Draco groaned.

"At least it wasn't the roof this time," Hermione offered

"F…f…fuck y..ou"

Hermione pursed her lips, "and you know what else?"

Draco grunted.

"I told you so," Hermione said slowly savoring the words in her mouth knowing that those four little words hurt the Slytherin more than pieces of chandelier piercing his body.

"I h…hate y…you.."

Draco died at 2:35 pm.

* * *

A/N: Hi. To anyone who might be getting frustrated about the time of death at the end of the chapter, be patient. (lol but seriously, it'll start to make sense soon)

**&&** to **Aradia1013 **thank you for pointing that out. I will try to work on that hahaha.


	5. Dumb Ways Draco Died

A/N: Hello! This chapter contains days six to eleven. It compiles Draco's feeble attempts of escaping death. I decided to write them in little snippets because putting them in separated and stretched out chapters might get too tiring and repetitive to read. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Saturday Number Six**

Draco woke up angry and snapped up into a sitting position.

"That _bitch_!"

"I _beg_ your pardon?"

"Oh, sorry. Not you, mother"

Narcissa frowned disapprovingly at her son's choice of a morning greeting, "Well, I just came up here to invite you to have breakfast with your father and I."

Draco waved his mother off, too preoccupied to have their daily morning banter. He hopped off his bed as she as she closed the door behind her. He started to pace.

_Okay think, Draco, think! That witch was completely out of her mind yesterday…today…yesterday! There must be some other way out of this. I mean what could the world possibly want from me. I have literally nothing to give. I haven't made any commitments to anyone nor any promises. I just need to figure out what's triggering my deaths and then I can finally get out of here. Now, think._

The Slytherin felt his stomach rumble. _Funny, I don't remember feeling hungry for a while now_. He absentmindedly grabbed his robe and strode out of his room. He let his 23 years of existence in the manor carry his feet towards the dining hall as he let his mind wander about his current dilemma.

_Now let's see, what do all my deaths have in common other than they hurt like hell? It can't be the roof of that bloody bookstore because I died by chandelier and by killing curse care of that stupid fucking Weasley—proving, that I can die by anything. It can't be because of Potter or Weaslette because I didn't see those idiots yesterday and I died just fine. Could it be Longbottom? _

Draco laughed at his little joke. _Alright focus, Draco. Oh god, it can't be. Can it? Is it fucking—"_

"Granger!" Draco hissed, "What the hell are you doing here?"

The Slytherin had walked in the dining hall and came face to face with the muggle-born's deep brown eyes sitting with his parents having breakfast as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Draco! That is not how we speak to our guests," Narcissa scolded, "Now sit down"

The Healer complied as he sank in a chair opposite to Hermione's. He narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindor.

"Fine," Draco said changing his voice into a more pleasant tone, "Granger, why the hell are you here?"

Lady Malfoy shot his son a look but before she could speak Hermione diffused the situation, "It's alright, Narcissa. Well, _Draco_," Hermione said his name as if challenging him, "I come here every Saturday to deliver books for Narcissa. You would know that if you ever ate breakfast with your family for that matter"

"Don't tell me what to do! And haven't you heard of a bloody owl?"

"Well, when the bookstore's owl died I had to make the deliveries myself for a while until we got a replacement."

"And I was getting so used to talking to Hermione every Saturday that I insisted on her to keep coming even after their new owl came in. You were so busy, darling, I really needed some company. Besides the only time your father ever talks to me is when were in the bedroom" Narcissa smiled at her husband knowingly

"Gross" Draco shuddered to himself

Hermione continued, "It took me a while but I finally caved in to her somewhat surprising request"

"And I'm glad you did. You're a joy to be around," Narcissa smiled at the muggle-born

Draco felt like he was going to be sick. _Betrayed by his own flesh and blood._ _And how the hell did he miss this little detail about his mother making friends with his enemy. _He eyed his father sitting calmly on the other end of the table, "And you? You're actually okay with this? You do know that she's a muggleborn right—OW!"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you know better than to speak like that!" Narcissa snapped at her son, "Honestly! Where have your manners gone today? And you know your father is recovering from his hatred for mudbloods—oh sorry, dearie, it just slipped."

"It's alright, Narcissa," Hermione smiled at his mother

"And he's doing very well," Narcissa continued, "He's becoming more tolerant of the muggleborns. Aren't you, Lucius? My, just last week he told me how excited he was to have Hermione over again for breakfast"

Draco made a face at his father. _Clearly he's lost his mind._ Lucius looked up from his newspaper and stared back at his son with intense indifference and shook his head slowly.

"Oh come now, Lucius," Narcissa laughed airily before looking back at her son, "You know what a kidder your father always was"

"Yeah," Draco said sarcasm dripping heavily from him, "Hilarious"

The Malfoy senior sighed and went back to his morning paper and Draco turned back towards the Gryffindor, "Anyway, you can't be here!"

"Why not!" Hermione said defensively

"Draco, how many times do I have to scold you today?"

"Mother, you don't understand. She's going to kill me!"

"And how do you suppose I'd do _that?" _The Gryffindor snapped

"I don't know. You _are_ the Brightest Witch of Our Age. I'm pretty sure you can figure something out!"

"You know what? Fine! I'm leaving."

"Draco!" Narcissa said angrily

"Good!" Draco shouted after her as he followed her to the drawing room where their guests would usually floo from.

"Great!" Hermione shouted back angrily as she stepped into the floo, "I hope you go to hell, Malfoy!"

"I'm already in it because of you!" Draco shouted as the green flames engulfed her. Draco huffed in place as he tried to push down his anger. He turned around to find his mother frowning at him.

"I don't know what's gotten in to you," Narcissa said angrily, "You better apologize to her—"

There was an ugly creak and then a snap. Draco looked up. _Not another chandelier. _He looked back at his mother, "What did I just say?"

Narcissa shrieked as she saw her only son die. He barely made it past 10:30 today.

* * *

**Saturday Number Seven**

Draco woke up feeling determined. Today was the day that he wasn't going to die. It was simple really. All he had to do was avoid Granger at all cost. He quickly showered and left before Narcissa could even find him. He went straight to his office at St. Mungo's. His plan was simple: Don't leave the room. He couldn't stay at home after learning that Granger made daily stops over there. He couldn't go out to Diagon Alley because _she_ works there. So for today, it was stay in the office day.

Draco's morning had been uneventful except for his expected visit from Potter. He was sitting behind his desk eating what he think was soup, from the cafeteria, when his door burst open.

"Oh Malfoy there you are!"

The Slytherin leaped on his feet, "No, no, no, no, no. You're not supposed to be here!"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione's face scrunched up in confusion as she took a step further into the room. Draco stepped back and pressed himself against the window behind him.

"Don't come any closer"

"Look, I'm just here because your mother—"

"I mean it!" Draco shouted frantically. _Are the walls closing in? I think they're closing in._

Hermione put her hands on her hips, "Look Malfoy what is your problem—"

Behind the Malfoy heir, the window swung open and the he went tumbling through. Draco saw Hermione pop her head out the window as he fell, screaming out his name.

* * *

**Saturday number eight **

Draco woke up because he felt like he was falling. _Funny, because I literally just fell out of a window_ he thought bitterly as he got up and summoned his robe. He didn't even bother with a shower as he walked out his room, out of the Manor's front door and into the disapparation point.

He walked a couple of blocks, took the knight bus to merlin knows where and walked some more and by 9:30 am he was pretty sure that he was lost. _Ha! Let's see Granger try to find me now. Even **I** don't know where I am…where __**am**__ I?_

The Slytherin looked around and discovered that he was in muggle London. _This is better than having Granger around_. _I'll just wait here until the day passes._ Draco found a park bench to sit in to wait.

It was around 10:30 when he noticed a ball of light in the distance. He squinted at it and realized that it was getting bigger. Then suddenly the ball of light turned into…_an otter? A patronus?_

"Malfoy…" a voice came from the otter. Draco jumped on his feet as he realized whose voice that was, "This is Hermione Granger. Your mother…"

Draco ran. The otter kept up, swimming beside him with ease.

"…asked me to deliver this message to you. She's worried because you disappeared this morning…"

"THIS DOESN'T COUNT! THIS DOESN'T COUNT!" Draco frantically screamed at the clear blue sky as he tried to outrun the Patronus

Time thought differently as he struck Draco down with lightning.

* * *

**Saturday Number Nine**

Draco woke up in the worst possible state of depression at 9:00. He reached for his wand and shut the curtains tight enveloping his room in darkness and curled himself up into a ball.

"Draco, darling. What's wrong? It's such a beautiful day. Now get up."

"Why should I? I'm just going to die anyway" Draco moaned through his pillow

Narcissa laughed, "Well were _all_ dying. It's a part of life"

Draco lifted his head up to look at his mother with disbelief. He had told the woman that he was going to die and she merely just laughed at him, "No, mother. I didn't mean it in a philosophical way. I meant that I'm _literally_ going to die"

Narcissa's facial expression turned serious, "Draco, I don't think I like your jokes today. Now get up and get a move on. Breakfast will be served in thirty minutes."

Draco groaned as he let his head drop back down on his pillow with a plop. He stared at the ceiling completely defeated by this heavy emotion of hopelessness. He got up, dressed and headed out the door with nothing but his wand in his pocket. He only ever knew one way of how to deal with sadness and that was to get angry.

The Slytherin got to Flourish and Blotts in no time because he was a bloody wizard who was competent enough to apparate to places. He pushed the door open and whipped out his wand. _Good, she hasn't left yet for her deliveries yet._

"Hello, Granger"

"Malfoy—what do you want?" Hermione said carefully as she saw his wand in hand and the agitated look in his eyes.

"Funny you should ask," Draco said as if he was really amused. He then launched into a rage-filled rant about his current predicament.

"…and it's all your fault!" the ex-deatheater concluded

"And how is it _my _fault that you keep dying!" The Gryffindor protested, "Clearly from your story I already told you that you can't run away from your fate! I can't control that!"

"But you're always there! _Every single time_. I don't know why and I'm sick of it!" Draco said angrily

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Hermione said with alarm

"Let's see how _you _like dying! _Avada Kedavra!"_ The green light hit the muggleborn and her cold, lifeless body hit the floor.

"Y-you killed her!"

Draco looked up to see the bookshop's manager staring at him with wide-eyes. The Slytherin rolled his eyes, "Would you relax. You'll have her back tomorrow"

But the manager did not find comfort in Draco's words, "D-d-deatheater! DEATHEATER IN MY BOOKSHOP!"

Draco groaned and sat on Hermione's seat at the front desk as he waited. Two minutes later the Aurors came for him and he was sentenced to receive the Dementor's kiss at 9:30. The Slytherin had to admit he was a bit impressed at how fast court proceedings were—It only took ten minutes to get his sentence.

* * *

**Saturday Number Ten**

Draco decided to go to work today. He arrived at St. Mungo's at 10:30 like he did that first Saturday. He passed by to say hello to Abbot and even greeted the annoying interns who either flirted with him or planned his demise. He was in a pretty good mood considering what he had just gone through in the past nine days. He opened the door to his office, his good mood disappearing as he remembered who was in it.

"Potter," He said exasperatedly, "Come on then"

Draco turned around and started walking away. Harry raced after him, "Where are we going? I need to talk to you."

"Yeah? Well, I need a drink"

**xxx**

Harry peered at the Slytherin as he downed his fifth bottle of firewhiskey. They had ended up in Leaky Cauldron, "Are healers around to drink at 11 in the morning?"

Draco hiccupped, "Who cares. I'm going to die anyway. There's not much they can do about it, is there?"

"You're going to die?"

"Yes! Finally someone gets it"

Harry was unsure how to proceed from this point on, "Look Malfoy, I only came by because—"

"Yes, yes Pansy wants me to deliver her child. We've only had this conversation about five times already. Quit asking me already"

"Er…right, because of what you said…the time loop thing?"

"YES. Now keep up Potter," Draco hiccupped again, "Hey Tom! Another round!"

"I mean, why does this have to happen to_ me?_" Draco said as he took a big gulp of his firewhiskey, "I mean _you're_ the one with the bloody hero complex. You should be the one stuck here helping people"

"Yes…but I didn't die"

Draco barked out in laughter, "Of course you didn't. You're the boy-who-fucking-lived"

Harry pursed his lips, "Malfoy I think you've had enough"

"Don't tell me—"

_BANG!_ The door of the Leaky Cauldron swung open and the Gryffindor witch stood in the doorway looking quite angry. Her bushy hair crackling dangerously in the air, "YOU!"

Draco looked up and his heart jumped, "Fuck Granger, I thought you were my Aunt Bellatrix!"

The witch stormed her way towards Draco's table. She ignored Harry's presence as she focused her anger on the Slytherin, "You did this to me!"

"Did what? You look perfectly fine…why are there two of you?" Draco replied and then leaned in to whisper to Harry, "See I told you she was crazy"

"See how you like dying? SEE HOW YOU LIKE DYING?" The witch screeched at him

Draco fought the alcohol from clouding his mind, "Wait, how do you—"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence as Hermione grabbed his bottle of firewhiskey and broke it in half on the table. Harry stood up in alarm at his best friend's sudden burst of violence. Before anyone knew it Hermione plunged the bottle into Draco's chest, nearly missing his heart. He slowly sank to the floor. If the bottle didn't kill him, his inability to stay awake right now surely will.

"HERMIONE!" Harry shouted frantically, "OH GOD. What are you doing!"

Hermione ignored him once again and spoke to the Slytherin, "Now were even"

"Y-you b-bitch," Draco winced, "I j-just o-rdered a-an-other ro-und!"

* * *

**Saturday Number Eleven**

"Draco are you awake?" a sweet angelic voice greeted his morning.

Draco smiled, convinced he was in a dream, "Mhmm"

"Good," The voice changed into a stern one which was followed by a whacking sound. Draco's hand shot up to his throbbing head as he cracked one eye open.

"Granger what the bloody hell are you doing in my bedroom," Draco hissed at the witch as he scrambled up into a sitting position. The witch was not amused as she lifted the rolled up newspaper in her hand and started hitting Draco repeatedly.

"How. Could. You. Do. This. To. Me." She said angrily

"Do what!" Draco said as he tried to shield himself from the witch, "Would you bloody calm down!"

"No I will not bloody calm down!" _Whack._

"You murdered me!" _Whack._

"And now I'm stuck here with you!" Hermione lifted her hand ready to strike the Slytherin once again but Draco caught her arm and in the blink of an eye, the Deatheater had her pinned down under him on the bed. He held her wrists in place, one hand each, on either side of her head, as he did _not_ want to get hit again.

"Let me go!" the witch tried to shake him off

"What do you mean you're stuck here with me?" Draco demanded, ignoring Hermione's feeble attempts to escape him.

"Here, in this time loop, all because you had to mess with it by murdering me!" the Gryffindor spat

"I don't get it"

"You're not allowed to play god in a time loop you idiot. You're not allowed to kill anyone otherwise that individual can become conscious about your time loop"

"And how is that a bad thing?"

"The more conscious individuals there are in a time sequence the more changes will happen. Individuals form the timeline only act on a sort of preset. Conscious individuals act out of free will. Giving that much freedom to people in your time loop might mess up the natural order of things. I'm might be already messing with your timeline by acting out of sequence."

"Then why are you here then!" Draco said exasperatedly

"What was I supposed to do? Just sit back and leave my life in your hands? I don't get thirty days like you, you know. I have nothing to fix. I don't die like you do at the end of every day. I just go to bed and wake up again. My life path is now crossed with yours because of your brilliant plan to kill me. If you die, I die too. Now how many days are you in?"

"First of all, that is bloody unfair. Why do you get to have a peaceful night's rest? I don't think I've ever seen the moon yet," Draco hissed, "And second of all...I think were on the 11th day"

"YOU WASTED ELEVEN DAYS?!" The witch bellowed, "LET. ME. GO!"

Draco tightened his grip on the Gryffindor, "No way. Not when you're all crazy and violent—you stabbed me with a bottle!"

"You deserved it" Hermione said in a low voice

Draco shuddered. _Creepy_.

"Draco, darling—oh!" Narcissa stood by the doorway

Draco and Hermione looked towards the Malfoy Matriarch who was smiling at them knowingly. The two frowned, puzzled by the odd expression on Narcissa's face. Their eyes fell on each other and the position they were in. They quickly jumped apart in horror.

"Mother, it's not what you think!" Draco started

"It's quite alright dear," Narcissa giggled, "I'll leave you two alone"

Draco stared at his mother's retreating figure, wide-eyed. Then he moaned, "Please just kill me"

Hermione brought her knees up to her face, "I'm so embarrassed. How am I supposed to face her?"

"Hello. I'm her _son._ And she thinks I slept with her book…delivery…girl"

"Don't call me that!"

"That's what you are! Look, let's just reconvene tomorrow to figure this out. My office at 10?" Draco said as he stood up from the bed

Hermione nodded, lifting her head, "Where are you going?"

"Unlike you, I can't just sleep like a normal person. I don't feel like doing anything good today so I might as well just get this day over with."

"Well…See you tomorrow!" the Gryffindor called out to him

"Yeah, can't wait" Draco said sarcastically as he slammed the bathroom door shut. _At least today, his death would be of his own choosing—quick and painless_. Hermione watched as a flash of green light peeked through the crack under the door.


	6. Draco Gets A Chocolate Cake

**Saturday Number Twelve**

"Here, I see what your problem is"

Draco Malfoy was standing by the window in his office with his back turned towards the Gryffindor. Hermione was currently perusing the five-page notes he had written that morning about everything that happened to him in the last eleven days. He looked back at the witch who was waiting for him to give her attention.

"What?"

"You're a selfish asshole"

Draco shot her a dirty look.

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm just basing this on facts," Hermione said innocently as she held up the pages and tapped at it with her finger to make a point, "But then again. I could have told you that without this"

"Why do you have to be here again?"

"Because you murdered me and you have no choice," the witch said smugly

"Would you like to have beaver teeth again?" Draco said in fake pleasantness

"Would you like to be a ferret again?" the witch mirrored him

"Damn it, Granger! Stop being a pain in the arse and just tell me how to get out of here," Draco said in frustration as he sat himself down behind his desk

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay, keep your hair on."

Draco watched her as she approached his desk and laid down a piece of parchment in front of him containing some of her own notes.

"I've compiled everything you've written into a general time table. Do you notice the irregularities on your time of death?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Do you notice what's causing it to change?"

The Healer blinked.

Hermione sighed, "Here. When you committed suicide you died the earliest, before 9:30. You died at 9:30 for committing murder and at 10:30 for not doing anything or trying to run away. Your default time of death is 2:15. When you helped Harry but not Ginny you died at 2:35. The longest you've stayed alive was at 3:15 when you helped _both_ Harry and Ginny.

"So you see," Hermione concluded in a matter-of-factly, "You die faster when you're a selfish asshole. But I think the more important realization here is that you should never _ever_ doubt my perfect, flawless logic"

"Bloody know-it-all," Draco said under his breath

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Draco muttered, "Well if what you're saying is true then shouldn't I be long gone from this hell by now. I already said I'd help those two idiots"

"Hmm, maybe you're doing something wrong"

"_Please_," the healer said sarcastically, "_Do_ enlighten me oh great and knowledgeable one."

Hermione scowled and opened her mouth to retort but she was cut off by a knock on the door, "Malfoy? It's Potter"

"Shit!" Draco hissed at the Gryffindor who shot up in her seat, "Hide!"

"Where?!" Hermione looked around frantically. There weren't a lot of hiding places in Draco's office, it being so bare.

"**I don't know**! Jump out the window or something!," Draco hissed

The Gryffindor scowled at the Slytherin and whipped out her wand as Harry started to turn the doorknob. The ex-Deatheater raced to the door and held it shut while Hermione figured out a way to keep out of sight.

"Malfoy, I know you're in there! The mediwitch at the front desk told me you were already in your office"

"Er...just a minute," the Healer called to the Auror.

Draco watched the witch cast a Disillusionment charm on herself and disappear on her seat. He sighed in relief and opened the door so suddenly that Harry came stumbling in from the force.

"What's wrong with your door?" The Auror said as he straightened himself out

"Er…yeah, I've been meaning to get that fixed," Draco smoothly lied as he walked back into his desk.

He watched Harry approach the chairs in front of him and realized that the Auror was heading towards the one the witch was currently occupying. He panicked as he did not know if the Gryffindor had already vacated the seat.

"Don't sit there!" Draco shouted

"Why?" Harry said slowly, mid-sit

"It's…broken?" the healer tried

The Auror studied him but nodded and moved over to the next chair nonetheless, "Sorry to pop in like this, I hope I wasn't bothering you"

"If I said that you were, would you leave—ow!" Draco clutched the back of his head as the Gryffindor witch hit him. He felt her breath tickling his ear as she hissed, "Be nice"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," Draco said quickly, "I said, I need…ice?"

"Ice?" Harry repeated skeptically, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion

"Yeah, I…uh…hit my head" The healer lied, "And I'm starting to hear annoying voices in my head."

"How very...muggle of you," The Auror said suspiciously.

Draco winced, "Studied it in Healer Training. So anyway, Potter. What brings you here?"

"Right...anyway, I came here because I need your help"

The healer signaled the boy-who-lived to continue as he did not feel like supplying the rest of this conversation.

"Pansy's pregnant and she wants you to be our healer—and don't ask me why because I don't know the answer either. Believe me if it were up to me, I'd gladly ask another healer."

Draco was barely paying attention as he was now watching his desk drawers opening on its own from the corner of his eye. The muggleborn was now sitting on the floor beside him, her curiosity taking over. He quickly reached for the drawer and slammed it shut causing the Auror to flinch in his seat.

"What's wrong with you," Harry demanded.

"The...um...drawer. I need to get this drawer fixed too apparently," Draco gritted through his teeth throwing a dirty glance towards where he thinks the witch is, "So yes, yeah, Potter, sure. I'll do it"

"Well…okay, then," Harry said slowly, "You know, this really means a lot to Pansy"

"Right"

"So…I'll just be on my way then," the Auror stood up, "Thank you, this has been…odd"

Draco nodded and waved his hand dismissively.

"I guess Pansy and I will see you for the check-ups"

"Sure"

Harry took one last look at the Healer who was sitting so tensely on his seat before turning around to leave. As soon as the door clicked shut behind the auror, Draco turned his chair to face where he last "saw" the Gryffindor is and hissed at her, "What are you doing!"

Hermione broke out into peals of laughter as she vanished the charm off of her, "Look what I found!"

"Wha—?" Draco looked confused but then saw what the witch was holding in her hand.

It was a photo of him on his second birthday—one of the few happy memories he had of his childhood. He was eating a whole chocolate cake with his bare hands and his cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk. Beside him stood Narcissa, berating her little boy—probably about his lack of proper table manners.

"Awww you are the fattest little kid I've ever seen" Hermione giggled, tears coming out of her eyes

"How did you find this!" Draco said angrily as he snatched the photo from her. He did _not_ want her to him this way, "And I was not fat! I was **chubby**!"

"Would you relax, " Hermione said calming down and wiping her tears, "I saw it sticking out one of your folders and I just _had_ to look"

Draco glared at the witch as she stood up, "Shouldn't you be somewhere? Like, I don't know, having breakfast with my mother?"

The Gryffindor waved her hand dismissively, "I already called in sick. She won't be expecting me today"

"I don't think I like the idea of you lying to my mother"

"Anyway," Hermione continued, ignoring the Slytherin, "Something is bothering me. Your conversations with Harry change every time you meet but there's one line that he never fails to say"

"I need your help?"

"No," Hermione gave the healer a pointed look, "This really means a lot to Pansy. He keeps mentioning her"

"Maybe it's because she's his wife?" Draco said dryly

"What did I just say about being an asshole?"

Draco scowled, "Fine then, why _does_ he keep mentioning her?"

The Gryffindor stood in silence for a while falling into her thoughts, "I going to go get my book. The one I wrote"

"And what am _I_ supposed to do till then?

"I don't know. Whatever you usually do at this time."

Draco groaned. He didn't want to spend another day with the same three patients he's been seeing the past two weeks. The thought was depressing.

"Well, I'm off now. I'll be back in time to meet you and Ginny for lunch"

"What?_ Why_?"

"I figured it's a good idea to observe _that_ event first hand. That and that I haven't seen Ginny in a long time," Hermione said as she put on her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck.

"Good luck. Madam Pince isn't letting anyone take books out"

"_Please_," the Gryffindor rolled her eyes, "I'm **Hermione Granger**"

And with that she turned around and walked out, stopping by the door.

"And Chubster?"

"Don't call me that!" Draco said angrily

"Try not to die" Hermione smirked

The ex-deatheater glared.

"Little Chubster" the witch added as threw her head back and laughed

"I was **cute **and **adorable**!" Draco barked after her but the witch had already shut the door behind her. The healer could still hear her laughter seeping through the door.

"Bloody know-it-all"

**xxx**

Hermione plopped down on the seat in front of the healer who was enjoying his daily tea at Rosa Lee Teabags. She had been watching and eavesdropping on Draco and Ginny from the secluded booth at the corner of the room, studying their conversation. Once in a while the waiter would approach her to see if she was okay because she had been silently bawling her eyes out after hearing Ginny's condition. When the Quidditch player left, she approached the healer.

"Have you been crying?" Draco scrunched up his eyebrows

"Of course I was crying! How can you be so heartless? After hearing news like that!" the Gryffindor sniffed

The Slytherin rolled his eyes, "It's hardly news. I already told you she had cancer"

"It's different when she's the one saying it!"

Draco sighed exasperatedly, "Anyway, how's the old librarian?"

"Oh!," The muggleborn exclaimed wiping her tears and reaching in her bag to pull out her 900-page book, "Ta-da!"

"She just _gave_ that to you? I don't think I like the favoritism going on around there"

"You're the one to talk, Potions Master's little _pet_," Hermione rolled her eyes, "And…she didn't…_exactly_ give it to me…"

"…"

"…"

"So you _stole _it?"

"Well…I wouldn't exactly use the word, 'stole'"

"You _stole_ something from _Hogwarts_?"

"Alright. Fine! I did! Now would you please stop saying that?"

"Do you have any idea how _insane_ and _terrifying _you are?"

"Hey! You're the ex-deatheater here!"

"And need I remind you I was doing that for **love** of my family. And besides, I was the crappiest Deatheater mind you. I couldn't even kill an old, dying man—sorry," Draco added when Hermione winced at the mention of the late headmaster

"Yeah…well…you almost sold us out to Bellatrix!"

"But I didn't" Draco said pointedly

"And you tried to kill us in the Room of Requirements"

"But I didn't"

"You called me a mudblood!"

"Is that the best you can do? We've already established that I'm an asshole. _You_, however, are a complete and utter _**psychopath**_. In fact, if you were as evil as the dark lord, the dark lord would look like a bloody Hufflepuff next to you!

The witch open and closed her mouth like a fish, "I am not!"

"Oh really?" Draco smirked, "You set a teacher on _fire_, you kept a human being _in a jar_, and oh yeah, you stabbed me with a _**fucking bottle**_!"

The Gryffindor huffed and crossed her arms, "Oh, get over it. And that hardly seems fair…the circumstances were…"

Draco gave the witch a pointed look.

"Yeah…well…whatever!" Hermione said indignantly, "Do you want to hear what I've learned or not!"

The Slytherin sighed and signaled for her to go on. The witch sat up straight, squared her shoulders and spoke with an air of importance. Draco had to fight down an eye roll, not wanting to start another argument with the infuriating witch.

"Have you ever heard of the domino effect?"

"That depends. What's a domino?"

"Oh, right. Pureblood ignorance. A domino is this thin and tiny rectangular piece of block with dots on them to represent numbers. Anyway, their edges are thick enough so you can stand them up one after the other. The main point of the domino effect is that, when these pieces are set up right, if you push just even one piece, the rest will topple over," Hermione said in one breath

"So...like a chain reaction?" Draco asked slowly

"Exactly!" Hermione said excitedly

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place!" The healer exclaimed exasperatedly

The witch crossed her arms, "Are we going to have to have another argument?"

Draco grumbled, "No"

"I didn't think so," Hermione said hotly, "Anyway, like I said when the pieces are set up right everything should fall accordingly. If even one of the pieces are placed incorrectly, the entire operation will fail."

"So your point is…?

"My _point_ is your time loop is broken. There are pieces missing stopping you from moving on to the next day."

"Okay so how—"

"Don't interrupt me," Hermione berated

"But—!" Draco closed his mouth shut at the glare of the Gryffindor. He narrowed his eyes at her and let her continue.

"Do you remember the first day?," The witch continued, "You had only seen Harry, Ginny, Healer Johnson and Me? Don't you think it's odd that on the second day Ron appeared even if he wasn't part of the original timeline? It's almost as if Time left you a riddle. Every action you take triggers another event—events connected to the people you've met.

"So what? I'm supposed to help Weasel now too?" Draco scoffed

"No," Hermione frowned that's not it, "More like, he might be a piece that fits in with another piece—like you need him to solve someone else's problem. Everyone you interact with is important somehow."

"Who could possibly need a Weasel?"

A weird expression washed over Hermione's face at the Slytherin's word and she curtly stood up and walked out of the café. Draco sighed exasperatedly towards the ceiling. _What now?_ He waited to see if she was coming back but he saw no signs of the bushy haired brunette. _Oh bloody hell_. The healer left money on the table and raced out after the Gryffindor.

**xxx**

"What is wrong with you?"

The healer grabbed the Gryffindor's arm and yanked her towards him when he finally caught up with her.

"Let go of me," Hermione hissed

"Not until you tell me what the hell just happened back there!" Draco tightened his grip on her arm.

"It's nothing okay…it's just," the witch sighed, "It's nothing. Sorry for walking out on you"

The healer narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindor, "Okay…? Are you going to have another psychotic episode?"

"No!" Hermione snapped, "But I will if you don't let go of me now"

Draco quickly released her arm and put his hands up, "Happy? Now can you please just tell me how to fix this time loop"

The witch huffed and massaged her arm, "I don't know how to fix the others just yet. But I think I've figured out how you're going to fix the 'Harry' issue. See, I don't think your problem is with Harry at all. I think it's Parkinson"

"Pansy?" Draco asked skeptically as the two started walking down diagon alley.

"Think about it. The problem really is about her. She's your main patient and Harry only comes on _her_ behalf. Harry is just the messenger here,"

"But what could Pansy possibly want from me? She's living her dream life"

"I don't know. But there's only one way to find out," Hermione said stopping to face Draco, causing him to mirror her action.

"I'm almost too afraid to ask" the Healer said bitterly

The witch put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, "Draco Malfoy, you're going to visit…the Potters"

Draco moaned miserably, "Do I have to?"

The witch glared at him and hit him on the side of his head, "Yes _you do!_ You're going to wake up tomorrow morning and send an owl to Pansy Potter about visiting her for lunch!"

Draco cursed the sky, "Fine. I'll send her a bloody owl"

"Good,"

The two stood in awkward silence for a while unable to think of what to say seeing as their conversation has ended.

"Hmm…what time do you think I'll die today?"

Hermione looked up and then back down at Draco and grinned, "Probably now" she said as she stepped back, away from him

The ex-Deatheater looked at the witch confused, "Wha—"

They had ended up in front of the bookstore and Draco hadn't even noticed. He was once again reunited with the store's roofing.

"Thanksss f-f-or…t-the warn—ing," Draco spat at the Gryffindor

Hermione smirked and kneeled down beside the Slytherin. Around them, the crowd was going hysterical with panic at the sight of the dying man.

The witch started mockingly patting his head and spoke to him in feigned pity , "Aw, I'm sorry. I'll bring you cake tomorrow. Would you like that..little Chubster?"

Draco groaned in pain both from his roof-related wounds and his ego-related wounds.

"It better be chocolate" Draco hissed before he closed his eyes at 3:15.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews!


	7. Draco and the Potters

**A/N**: I've always imagined Pansy to look like Jordan Baker from the Great Gatsby hmm...

P.S Sorry about the vagueness with the whole Ron situation. It's going to be pieced together little by little. (Just in case you were wondering/confused about it). Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!

* * *

**Saturday Number Thirteen**

Draco stood in front of a cottage at Godric's Hollow. He had been staring at the door trying to make sense of the situation he had now put himself in.

Earlier that day, he had sent out an owl to Pansy Potter nee Parkinson asking if he could see her. She had replied with an enthusiastic 'yes' and invited him over for a home-cooked meal. And with that he got up from bed and started with his day.

Breakfast with his mother _and _Granger was horrible as usual, Potter hadn't visited him that morning much to his confusion and his daily meetings with the Weaslette wasn't much different than the others. Before he knew it he was already arguing with himself in front of the Potter's residence about his sanity on this decision he's making.

"So…are we just going to stand here or are you going to knock on the door?"

Draco groaned, "Why are you here again?"

Hermione, much to Draco's dismay, decided to join the Slytherin in his visit to the Potters—and once the witch decided to do something there was very little anyone could do to persuade her otherwise.

"I told you, I want to see Harry too,"

"Then do that on your own time!"

"Yes but this visit is different. It's like history is being made! _The_ Draco Malfoy visiting _Harry Potter _and his family for _lunch_," Hermione said excitedly, "Besides, I want to be here if you make a fool out of yourself"

"Well, I'm so happy for you," Draco muttered with a frown as he went back to staring at the door, "What am I even doing here? This is a mistake."

"Oh don't be so dramatic"

The Slytherin turned to glare at the witch, "I haven't seen her in years—in fact, the last time I saw her was on her wedding day five years ago! What do I even say to her? And she has a kid—"

"James," The Gryffindor provided

"Whatever! And now she has another one coming that she wants _me_ to deliver! Oh merlin, I shouldn't be here, I _really_ shouldn't be here."

Hermione slapped the Slytherin, "Pull yourself together! Look. Everything is going to be just fine. You just have to go in there and act like you've always acted around Pansy. If you two were really friends before then you shouldn't be worried about anything. I mean it's not like she's mad at you. She seemed pretty happy in her reply."

Draco blinked at the Gryffindor, too surprised at her sudden pep-talk to react properly to the fact the she had once again, hit him.

"Now," the witch said sighing deeply stepping forward to straighten out his suit and tie, "You're going to go in there and you're going to fix things between you and Pansy so we can be one step closer to getting out of this mess. And also, would it kill you to smile?"

"It might"

The Gryffindor frowned at him causing the Slytherin to roll his eyes, "Fine"

Draco smiled.

"There? Happy?"

Hermione's heart dropped to her stomach and her knees felt weak. She had never seen the Slytherin smile before and she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away from it.

"Granger?"

Hermione's heart was racing, pounding against her chest painfully. She wondered if he could hear it. She also wondered if his eyes were always this beautiful shade of silver.

The muggle-born sighed.

"Granger!" Draco barked at her cause the witch to snap out of her trance.

"Er…y-yeah…that's…perfect," Hermione mumbled

"What?"

"Nothing," The witch said hastily, her cheeks burning up, "Just hurry up and knock on the damn door!"

Hermione mentally slapped herself as she turned towards the door. She could feel his eyes on her—probably studying her now that she was acting so _bloody_ weird She prayed that he didn't see the blush that was creeping up on her cheeks. After a while she saw Draco turn towards the door too.

"Bloody psychopath," The Slytherin muttered under his breath before he reached up to knock on the door.

**xxx**

Lunch went by beautifully and the meal was accompanied with cheerful conversation—although most of that was due to Hermione, Pansy, Harry's oldest James, and his godchild Teddy. Draco mainly sat back and watched Pansy and her family, and Harry, in turn, sat back and watched Draco and Hermione with curiosity.

When the meal ended, with much persuading on Pansy's part, Draco reluctantly agreed to stay for a little while longer for some tea and pastries. The two girls disappeared behind the kitchen door and Draco let Harry lead him to the backyard where they watched James and Teddy wreak havoc on the sandbox. Harry handed Draco a fire whiskey and took one for himself.

"You know it's funny," Harry said without taking his eyes the two children playing, "I was about to come see you this morning but then as if on perfect timing, we receive an owl from you"

Draco took a gulp of his firewhiskey, "You're right. That _is_ funny"

The Auror looked at his ex-nemesis, "I don't know why you came today but thank you. This really means a lot to Pansy. You should go talk to her. You know, just the two of you. You haven't _actually_ said much to her."

The Slytherin eyed the war hero from the corner of his eye. After seeing Pansy today, he had to admit that the Auror had done good with her: she was happier, warmer and she wasn't so angry all the time anymore.

"Maybe I will," Draco said taking another swig from his bottle and directed his attention to the metamorphagus, "So _he's_ Teddy"

"Yeah, mostly he stays with us. But other times he's over at your Aunt Andromeda's," the Auror nodded, "He used to be quiet and shy but I think James has been a bad influence on him"

Draco smirked, "I'm not surprised"

Harry rolled his eyes, "You should spend some time with him. Narcissa comes by loads of times to hang out with him."

"Is my mother friends with _everyone_?" The Slytherin said distastefully

"What do you mean?"

"I just found out the Granger has been having breakfast at the Manor with my mother for a while now"

Harry frowned, "Can I ask you something?"

"I would say no but you're going ask me anyway"

Harry nodded and took a sip, "What's the deal with you and Hermione? I mean…you're not…?"

"No way in hell," Draco laughed in his bottle

The Auror looked confused, "Then why did you come here together?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing," The ex-deatheater sighed

"So…you don't…like her?"

"Nope," Draco said without even thinking about it as he took another sip but he suddenly felt unsure about his sentiments as soon as the words had left his mouth. _Wait, __**do**__ I like Granger? Maybe…maybe…nah. This firewhiskey is probably messing with my head"_

"Why are you being so nosy anyway?" The healer inquired

The Auror shrugged, "Hermione's my best friend. I'm just looking out for her."

"So if I said that I _did_ like her you'd try and stop me?" Draco was amused

"Yes…no. I don't know," Harry sighed, "After what happened with Ron…I just don't want her getting hurt again. And then when I saw her with you today—no offense but it's just that you're…you"

_Something happened with the Weasel?_ Draco thought to himself. He contemplated on asking Potter about it but then decided not to. He didn't want to meddle into any more affairs. He had a lot to deal with as it is as people can't seem to include them in _their_ affairs. Instead, he opened his mouth to say what he says best: insults.

"Yeah, well _you're_ you and _you_ are not exactly a joy to be around either—and _yes_ offense"

"Bloody ferret"

Draco chuckled, "Well you can relax because I am not going to lay a finger on Granger. Have you noticed how completely mental the witch is?

"Trust me, I know. Thirteen years and counting, " Harry laughed and then took another sip, "Do me a favor and don't tell her I agreed with that. She'd probably skin me alive"

"I believe you"

Harry and Draco both nodded and took another sip from their bottles.

**xxx**

"So, you and Draco, huh?" Pansy grinned

"W-what?" Hermione stammered, "I don't know what you're talking about"

"Oh please," The Slytherin rolled her eyes, "You're totally attracted to him!"

"I am _not!_" The Gryffindor protested, "Were just working together on something. He asked me for help and I gave it"

It wasn't exactly a lie since she _was_ technically helping him. Hermione concentrated on the task at hand so that she wouldn't have to meet Pansy's gaze. Over the course of the years since the wedding the Gryffindor had been getting closer to the Slytherin. Ginny's absence helped their friendship push along faster with the amount of time the two former enemies they ended up spending together.

"I don't blame you, you know," Pansy said refusing to hear what Hermione was saying, "Draco was always _very_ attractive. His hair, his smile and oh, his eyes! Don't even get me started with his body—has you seen him without his shirt on?"

"Pansy! You're married!"

The Slytherin waved her hand dismissively, "Yes. Married, _not blind. _Besides, Harry knows that he's the only one that I'll ever want"

The Gryffindor groaned, "Well, in any case, you can drop whatever sick and twisted thought you have about me and Malfoy because I am _not_ attracted to him!"

"Really? So that wasn't you, bright red as a tomato, standing outside my door beside him a while ago?"

"That was…that was…," Hermione stammered

Pansy laughed.

"Fine! He _is_ attractive!," Hermione said indignantly, "But that still doesn't change the fact that he's an arrogant, selfish, slimy git—sorry"

The Slytherin laughed, "Draco just acts like on the outside that but deep down he's the biggest teddy bear. He's probably one of the most affectionate people I know."

Hermione scoffed.

"It's true!" Pansy insisted, "You have to understand how horrible it was to grow up in our families. It was lonely and cruel. Draco was lucky that he had Narcissa and I was lucky that I had him. In a way, that feeling of companionship in that time was what drove me to obsess over him—I even thought that I would marry him!"

"Why didn't you? Marry him, I mean"

"It would never have worked," the Slytherin said casually, "We were both broken. We comforted and took care of each other but we could never make each other better. Harry made me better. He saved me."

"That's really beautiful, Pansy" Hermione smiled, "And I'm sure Malfoy will find someone too."

The Gryffindor had always known the story of Pansy and Harry's love but she had never heard about the extent of her love for Draco. She realized that Pansy had cared for the ex-Deatheater the same way she cares for Harry.

Pansy smiled knowingly, "I believe he already has"

Hermione scrunched her face in confusion, "What—"

The door swung open and Draco strode in and stood by the doorway awkwardly. The three stood in an uncomfortable silence until the Gryffindor spoke.

"You know, I'll go check on what Harry is up to," and with that Hermione hastily left the kitchen to leave the two friends to talk.

**xxx**

"Did you need something, Draco?" Pansy smiled at her old friend

"Just came to see if you needed any help. Besides, your husband was boring me to death" Draco laughed at the irony of his sentence in his head

Pansy clucked her tongue, "Honestly, Draco"

The Slytherin chuckled, "You look really great, Pansy"

"You too"

"You've done a really great job with the house and the kids…," Draco trailed off trying to figure out what to say to her. It was a lot harder to talk to her one-on-one like this.

"These look great," The Malfoy heir indicated to the pastries, "Do you bake now too?"

"Thank you. It's one of my hobbies really. Plus I like it when I manage to make James something he really likes"

"That's…really…good for you," Draco offered a smile.

"Listen, thanks for coming to see me today. You have no idea how happy this makes me...," Pansy said tears forming in her eyes

"Pans, please don't cry…"

"I'm sorry," The Slytherin witch tried to wipe them away, "It's just…"

Pansy broke unto a sob and Draco moved to hug her.

"Where were you, Draco? You just disappeared on me. You just left me," Pansy cried through his chest

"I know I'm sorry," the Slytherin said with guilt, "You were just so happy. I didn't want to ruin this with whatever baggage I was carrying with me from my past. You finally got out, I didn't want to hold you back"

"You're an idiot you know that? You could never ruin anything for me. I love you, Draco. I would never have left you just because my life changed. You were the only family I had growing up!"

"I know and I'm sorry," Draco said and he meant it

"Then how could you just leave me like that! I wanted you to be there for all those special moments. My son's birth, my first cooked meal…I wanted to share my happiness with you because I wanted you to be happy too"

"I am happy…" Draco argued weakly

"No you're not," Pansy croaked, "And the sad part is, you don't even realize that you're not.

The ex-Deatheater didn't reply and instead hugged his friend tighter.

"I really missed you," Pansy sobbed

"I missed you too," Draco whispered.

"Please don't leave me again"

"I won't"

"Promise me!"

"I promise"

"Good," Pansy glared up at him through her tears, " Now, don't you ever _fucking_ do this to me again!"

"That's the Pansy I know," The Slytherin laughed out loud and the witch smiled and punched him playfully in the arm, laughing along with him.

Outside the kitchen door, Hermione Granger was sobbing silently.

"Hermione?" Harry asked furrowing his eyebrows at his best friend, "What are you doing out here. And why are you crying?"

"Oh it's just so sweet, Harry" the witch sobbed

"Okay…?" the Auror said slowly, "What's so sweet?"

But Hermione ignored the question and instead threw her arms around the war hero, "You know that I love you, don't you Harry?

"Yes, I know. I love you too Hermione," Harry chuckled, "Now what's this about? You're acting like James after eating all the ice cream in the fridge."

"Nothing," The Gryffindor smiled and shook her head as she stepped away from the boy-who-lived.

Harry watched her cry all the way to the bathroom, "What on earth…?"

The Auror shook his head and walked into the kitchen. He came face to face with his former enemy and his wife in a tight embrace. He cleared his throat and the two broke apart.

"Should I be concerned?" Harry raised his eyebrow at the pair

"Probably," The Malfoy heir said

Harry was not amused.

Pansy sniffed and laughed, "Draco, stop messing with my husband"

"Anyway," Harry continued, "Does anyone know what happened to Hermione?"

"No," Pansy frowned as she wiped away the last of her tears, "Why?"

"I just saw her crying,"

"Well, that's odd. She was fine when she left us," the Slytherin witch said thoughtfully.

"You don't think that it's because of Ron's…?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Oh dear, I forgot that was tonight!" Pansy said as she hurriedly to look for the Gryffindor.

Draco frowned. _There it was again. Weasley._

**xxx**

"Are you sure you're alright?" Pansy asked Hermione

The Potters were standing at the doorway of their home to bid farewell to their guests.

"Yes, Pansy! I'm sure," Hermione laughed airily, "I'm over it really. It's no…big deal…"

The Gryffindor had been trying to convince Pansy that she definitely was _not_ crying over _he-who-must-not-be-named—_and no, she did not mean Voldemort. Well..._now_ she _did_ want to cry over he-who-must-no-be-named because they wouldn't stop bringing him up. _And I was doing so well_, Hermione thought bitterly._  
_

The Slytherin witch eyed the muggle born, clearly not believing her, "Well if you're sure…"

"I'm sure," the witch said with finality and with one more round of goodbyes and promises to come visit again soon, Draco and Hermione were sent on their way.

"What was _that_ about?" Draco asked when Harry and Pansy closed their door.

Hermione didn't reply.

"And what's happening tonight?"

"None of your business!" Hermione snapped

The ex-Deatheater shrugged and he turned to walk down the street to the apparition point not bothering to wait for the muggleborn. The Gryffindor followed after him and fell in step beside the healer.

"So…" Hermione said trying to sound casual, "Did you fix things with Pansy?"

"You can drop the act. I know you were eavesdropping on us"

"What!" the Gryffindor feigned shock but the Slytherin was not fooled, "Fine! I may have heard a few things…"

Draco snorted.

Hermione scowled at the Slytherin, "Well…for what it's worth. That was really nice of you—mind you I would never have imagined that I would associate you with the word 'nice'"

The Slytherin nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, you'd never describe me as nice"

"That's right"

"Probably arrogant"

"Yeah!"

"A selfish, slimy git even"

"Exactly! I'm glad you get it."

"Maybe even," Draco savoured his words in his mouth, "Attractive"

Hermione stopped in her tracks, "W-w-what?"

Draco looked smug.

"You listened in on me and Pansy?!" the witch screeched

"I may have heard a few things," Draco mocked the witch

The Gryffindor's face burned with embarrassment and she turned to stomp away but Draco stopped her

"Calm down, Granger. If it appeases you, I won't bring it up again"

Hermione eyed the wizard warily before nodding her head and two resumed their walk.

"But just so you know Granger, I give you full permission to ogle me any time you want"

The Gryffindor growled with frustration and she walked ahead of him, "You're the worst!"

"Oh come on, Granger," Draco shouted after her, "Don't be embarrassed"

"Shut up! I only agreed with Pansy so that she'd leave me alone!" The witch lied through her teeth. _God why did he have to look like **that,**_she thought miserably to herself.

"You're only human. I don't blame you for not being able to resist my god-like charms"

"Pfft. _Please_. God-like charms my arse" The Gryffindor snorted. _Yes, you **are** beautiful_, "I hope you get hit by a bus!"

And that's exactly what happened.

Hermione whirled around just in time to see the Knight Bus come to a hair-raising screech as it descended upon the Slytherin.

"What are you doing!" She screamed frantically at the knight bus driver.

"We may have miscalculated this one, Earl," The shrunken head said

The witch ran to search for Draco under the vehicle, "Malfoy, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to happen!"

The Slytherin couldn't do anything other than stare at her blankly. He tried to groan but instead only air came out.

"But you have to admit this is pretty funny. I mean I just said it, then it _actually_ happened. How cool is that?" Hermione said, amused.

Draco tried to groan again. Still air.

"Oh…right. You're probably in a lot of pain right now," Hermione winced.

"But look," The witch continued, trying to sound optimistic as she held up her wristwatch for him to see, "You made it to 4:30 today!"

The Slytherin blinked up at the Gryffindor.

"Yeah…so…I'll…uh…just see you tomorrow then," Hermione said sheepishly as she reached over to close his eyes.


	8. Hermione, Crookshanks and a Ferret

**A/N: **Hello! Sorry it took me so long to update this (well it's not really that long considering that it's only been five days haha) I had a really hard time writing this chapter and I literally ended up writing four completely different versions before I settled on this one. Anyway, things to know about this chapter:

1: This is Saturday's number 13-16 told in the point of view of Hermione.  
2: I did not 'accidentally' repeat Saturday Number Thirteen (in case any of you are confused). I decided to use that day to start Hermione's part, continuing _after_ Draco's death. 3: Aaaaand...that's it. Hope you like the chapter!

**Big thank you to all those who followed, favorited and reviewed the last chapter. You guys are amazing and I really appreciated it :)**

* * *

**Saturday Number Thirteen**

Hermione Granger did the same things for the past two weeks: She'd wake up, feed Crookshanks, go to work at Flourish and Blotts and then come home to down a bottle of red wine and pray to both her muggle and wizard gods that it would be enough to make her go to sleep.

Yes, the Gryffindor had a problem—and it wasn't her drinking. Her problem came in the same color as her wine: red—like the flame-like hair of a certain Ronald Weasley, who, two months ago, decided that she did not 'fit into his plans' anymore.

But she wasn't always like this after the break-up. She went on with her life with dignity and grace, keeping her head held high and all the crying behind closed doors—even after she found herself on the cover of the Daily Prophet as the latest gossip. Eventually her determination to move past this led everyone to lose interest in her. The Gryffindor hoped that the worst was over.

However, for the first time in her life, she was wrong. Two-weeks ago a letter came in through the owl post for the Gryffindor: a white scented envelope trimmed with lace and roses—an invitation to the 'celebration of love', it had said in cursive, gold letters. Hermione didn't need to read the rest to see what it was and two seconds upon laying her eyes on the wretched thing, she had opened her first bottle of red wine that she had been keeping in her cupboard for special occasions. From that night on there had always seemed to be a 'special occasion' going on in her apartment.

That 'celebration of love' was today of all days—the one day that she had to relive at least twenty-one more times. The truth was, she hasn't touched a bottle ever since she got stuck in here with Draco for the mere reason that the Slytherin had distracted her from being miserable all the time. She spent all her time researching about time loops and hating on the pureblood that she barely had time to remember Ron (and it absolutely killed her inside knowing that the days wherein she had felt the most like herself was all thanks to that infuriating ferret.)

But that was about to change as she came home from her visit to the Potters. It only took was one trip to the Potter's to have her reaching up in her kitchen cupboards for a bottle of the red liquid—one visit to remind her of Ronald Weasley who just threw her away like an overused chocolate frog card. Hermione sighed as she dragged herself towards her bedroom, red wine in tow, where she curled herself up in her blankets. The Gryffindor took a sip and willed herself not to cry but the tears came anyway.

* * *

**Saturday Number Fourteen**

Hermione woke up with a horrible feeling in her stomach as dread washed over her, having recalled last night's…episode. She frowned as she rolled away from the blinds, turning her back on the sickeningly cheerful sunlight.

_Meow_.

"I don't want to hear it, Crookshanks. I'm not going out today," Hermione said from under her covers.

_Meow_.

The Gryffindor scoffed as she sat up to look at the half-kneazle, "I am _not_ moping about him. I am simply not feeling very well today,"

Crookshanks looked at his owner with the same bored expression as he yawned and sauntered off out the bedroom door. Hermione huffed indignantly, pleased that she had won this argument, and resumed her rightful spot under the layer of fluffy blankets.

Her victory however was short-lived as light tapping disturbed the silence—a sound of an owl making a delivery which the Gryffindor had come to immensely hate. The witch let the tapping continue for a couple more times hoping that it would go away but unfortunately for her, she was no match for the owl's tenacity to get what it wants.

Hermione sighed as she moved towards the window and opened the blinds. Sitting on her windowsill was the most handsome eagle owl she had ever seen. It swooped into her bedroom as soon as she had opened her window and landed on her bedpost. The owl stuck out his leg as the Gryffindor moved to take the small parchment from it. It settled itself patiently, waiting for the witch to send him on his way with her own reply. Hermione opened the note:

**_Where the hell are you?_**

**– _Malfoy_**

Hermione groaned. She had forgotten about Draco who she had promised to see today. But in her defense, every time she had told the dying Slytherin that she'd 'See him tomorrow' she had always meant that more as of a joke rather than as a promise. The witch scribbled down a reply.

**_Well, good morning to you too. I'll have you know that I'm sick and that I'm taking the day off. So, good day. _**

**– _Hermione_**

The owl hooted once as a farewell to the witch after she had attached her reply to him and went on its way. It didn't take him long to come back with another note from Draco and it settled himself again on the bedpost.

**_Sick my arse. _**

**– _Healer __Malfoy_**

_**And good morning**,_ he wrote on another piece of parchment

_**I am**!, _Hermione wrote indignantly as she attached the note back on the bird.

Hermione glared after the bird until it disappeared behind a building that was blocking the view. From the corner of her eye she saw Crookshanks slip inside her room and perch himself on her bookshelf where he gave her a disapproving look.

"What!" Hermione said defensively to the cat, "Fine! So you were right. I _am_ moping, are you happy now? And I _am_ sick"

_Meow._

"Heartbreak counts..." Hermione muttered lamely

The cat sighed—if that were possible, as if to indicate that he had this dealt with this depressing side of his owner all too often. The cat directed its undivided attention to the eagle owl instead as it perched itself yet again to the witch's bedpost. The two animals eyed each other with caution as the Gryffindor read the Slytherins note:

**_You're a terrible liar. If you were going to lie to me you might as well have made it a good one. It's offensive really that you think so lowly of my intellect. If this is about yesterday then I suggest you find it in yourself to get over it because it's really not that big of a deal. Lots of women find me attractive—have you __seen__ me. What am I saying, of course you have. And yes, I am smirking right now._**

**– _Malfoy_**

Hermione scoffed, _that smug bastard!_

**_Malfoy, let me just start by saying that you are a complete arse and that you should take your own advice and get over __your__ self. I have already moved on from yesterday's unfortunate incident and I cannot come see you today because as I already said, I __am __sick. I'm sorry if my reason is not elaborate enough to please your cunning and twisted Slytherin mind but it's the truth. _**

**_Now, do me a favor and leave me alone._**

**_- Hermione_**

**_P.S. And by women do you mean your mother?_**

The Gryffindor smirked as she finished writing the last word on her letter and once again the bird was off. Crookshanks allowed this moment of the bird's absence to groom himself.

**_Granger, let __me __start by saying that you are an insufferable pain in the arse. Tell me, do you find joy in being one? Fine, take your damn "day-off." Whatever's wrong with you today, I don't want to know but you're going to be back here helping me tomorrow whether you like or not, even if I have to come there and drag you out myself. I suggest you take the easy route and be the goody two shoes that you are and just do what you're told._**

**_-Malfoy_**

**_P.S. My mother often expresses her sentiments on how good I look but that is besides the point._**

Hermione wasted no time to reply,

**_Are you threatening me, __ferret? Because I don't respond well to threats._**

**_-War hero, Brightest Witch of her age_**

**_P.S. You're bluffing. You couldn't possibly know where I live._**

It took the eagle owl a bit of time to return to the Gryffindor but when it did it merely dropped off the note and flew off without waiting for a reply. Hermione frowned at the retreating figure of the bird before she looked down at the neat handwriting of the healer:

**_That was no threat._**

**_That was a promise._**

**_-ex-Deatheater_**

**_P.S. Try me._**

Hermione involuntarily shivered at the sight of the word Deatheater—a side effect of the Second Wizarding War that she had fought in. Lately since she had started hanging out with Draco, she had also the fact that he was an ex-Deatheater from the way he acted around his mother and not to mention Pansy. Don't get her wrong, the witch was _not_ afraid of him. She just wasn't about to underestimate him—who knows what dark arts his sick, twisted father taught him.

The Gryffindor shrugged off the Slytherin's threat and crumpled up the parchment, tossing it towards the wastebasket near the door. It missed. The witch eyed it from her bed and contemplated on picking the offending litter up but decided to crawl back under her covers instead.

_It's just one day,_ Hermione argued to herself as she tried to go to sleep, _I just need one day and then tomorrow I'll be okay. I'm not going to mope in here forever. Not again._

* * *

**Saturday Number Fifteen**

_Okay Hermione, time to get up_, the witch told herself for the fourth time that morning since she had woken up. She rolled over to face her window, hoping that the cheerful sun would rub off on her but instead it only ended up irritating her as it blinded her with its light.

The Gryffindor got up and walked to the window and peered down at the busy street below her, a sea of people rushed by in hurried paces as they tried to get from point A to point B in the fastest way possible. Hermione rested her forehead on the glass and closed her eyes and started to imagine herself walking in a similarly crowded Diagon Alley. She'd enter from the Leaky Cauldron like she had always done so because her apartment was just the perfect walking distance from it. Then she'd walk down the street towards the bookshop, greeting the other shop owners as they opened up for the day. She'd greet Olivander, Madam Malkin and Ron—

Hermione opened her eyes abruptly, distraught in seeing the red head in her thoughts. She turned away from the window, shaking out her thoughts and studied her room with intense concentration until her eyes landed on the bookshelf. The witch sat herself in front of it and then started sorting the volumes and volumes of books out.

_Meow_.

"Don't be ridiculous, Crookshanks," Hermione said not looking up from her task as the cat bore his eyes on her from the bed, "I _am_ going out today, I'm just fixing up my bookshelf. We don't want it to leave it messy do we?"

_Meow_.

"I am _not stalling. _The floors were grimy. We wouldn't have this problem if you'd just stopped dragging in dead rats here every night," The Gryffindor was now hunched over her kitchen tiles, scrubbing them furiously, "Just let me finish this okay? Then I'll be on my way"

_Me—._

"Don't even say it," The witch said sternly at her half-kneazle who was now watching her from the kitchen counter top as she made her breakfast, "I was hungry, what was I supposed to do, starve? I can't go to work on an empty stomach"

Hermione could have sworn her cat just rolled his eyes at her but she chose to ignore him as she turned off the stove and plated her meal. She sat down and stared at her meal.

"Not bad, eh Crookshanks?"

She had gone all-out and created herself a magical breakfast feast fit enough to be served at the Great Hall in Hogwarts. She had cooked pancakes, bacon, sunny-side ups and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

The half-kneazle blinked up at her.

Hermione sighed, "Maybe you were right, maybe I wasn't hungry after all"

The cat didn't say anything, merely offering another one if his famous bored expressions. His eyes darted from the witch to the space above her head and began to hiss.

"What are you—" Hermione frowned at her cat, turning around to see what had upset her poor half-kneazle so. The witch let out a scream.

"Hello, Granger"

**xxx**

"What are you doing here?" Hermione demanded the smirking Slytherin leaning against her kitchen door in the most distracting manner. She quickly summoned her bathrobe and covered up her silk nightgown.

"I promised, didn't I?" Draco replied nonchalantly as he began to wander around her kitchen, both fascinated and horrified at the muggle contraptions that he saw. Hermione trailed behind him exasperatedly as he determinedly touched everything that came in his path.

"What is this?" the Slytherin held up a metal kitchenware

"Can opener" the witch said taking the object from him and putting it back where he got it.

"This?"

"Blender"

"This?"

"A salad mixer"

"Thi—"

"Would you _please_ stop touching my stuff!" Hermione exclaimed as she had yet again confiscated another one of her possessions from the clutches of the ex-Deatheater.

Draco sent her a lopsided smirk and opened a cupboard regardless of the Gryffindor's request causing her to groan miserably, "Granger, should I be concerned that you were having a conversation with your cat?"

"You shouldn't be because it's none of your concern—in fact, nothing I do should ever be your concern because can I do whatever I want without the approval of the likes of you, even it is _was_ talking to my cat. I'm sure a lot of respectable wizards and witches talk to their pets anyhow, so there!" the witch finished all in one breath

"Yeah," Draco muttered as he opened up another cupboard, "You can find them in the mental ward at St. Mungo's"

Hermione crossed her arms, "Can I help you with something?"

The healer chose to say nothing and opened up another cupboard to his right. He grinned at the sight that greeted him, "Bingo"

The witch was horrified that her ex-nemesis had discovered her cabinet stocked to the brim with bottles of red wine—and that she actually had a cabinet stocked to the brim with bottles of red wine. The Slytherin raised an eyebrow at her before taking one bottle out and popping it open with a flick of his wand.

"Do you want some?" he offered the Gryffindor who eyed the bottle with caution.

"Yeah sure, just offer me my own wine," Hermione said sarcastically, "_No, _I do not want 'some'. It's 10 in the morning for merlin's sake, Malfoy!"

The healer shrugged and took a long swig, relishing the comforting hum the alcohol sent to his body. Draco Malfoy did not like being in this muggle apartment and being sober was not helping his distaste for it.

"At least use a glass!" the Gryffindor screeched which only made the Slytherin grin and take another swig as he made his way to witch's vacated seat on the table, eyeing the pancakes just sitting on the plate. He picked up the unused fork and helped himself to a bite. Hermione scoffed.

"Did you come here just to freeload off of my things or did you actually have a higher purpose?" the witch said halting Draco from taking another bite.

The Slytherin frowned at the piece of pancake already speared on his fork, perfectly cut. He put it back down on the plate and sighed, taking one final swig from the bottle of red wine. He stood up and planted himself in front of the witch who flinched at the sudden closeness of the Slytherin.

"Take my hand" Draco suddenly said

"What?" Hermione asked, totally caught off guard by the Slytherin's request

"You heard me" there was a hint of challenge in his voice, almost as if he was testing if the Gryffindor would do it. Hermione searched his eyes, trying to make sense of what could possibly be going through the Slytherin's head right now. She hesitantly nodded her head and reached for his hand.

She blushed at the warm contact and thought that hers fit his quite nicely but the feeling passed her all too quickly as it was replaced by a sensation she quite disliked. She panicked at the pinching feeling that took over which told her that Draco Malfoy was apparating them both away.

**xxx**

"Thanks for the warning, you arse!" the witch screeched angrily at the Slytherin as soon as they had reappeared to what it seemed like was Godric's Hollow, "If you haven't noticed I'm still in my nightgown!"

Draco smirked and eyed the Gryffindor whose bathrobe had opened revealing the silky material underneath., "I've noticed"

Hermione gaped at the Slytherin as she frantically tugged the robe back in place in an attempt to cover herself. Draco rolled his eyes and shrugged off his coat and handed it to her.

"Your highness," the Slytherin said in a mocking tone

"Pervert," the witch huffed as she grabbed the proffered coat and quickly covered herself up with it, watching the ex-Deatheater as he walk ahead. She jogged to catch up with him, her bunny slippers soaking up the dirt on the street, "How did you even get to apparate out of my apartment. I put the best wards up there"

"Well I guess your wards weren't good enough," Draco said smugly

"You _broke_ into my wards?" the witch gaped at him to which the wizard only smirked in response.

"How did you even find me in the first place!"

"Your boss at the bookshop told me"

"He just _told_ you?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at the Slytherin

"Well I doubt he had a choice"

"You _imperioused_ him?"

"Must you keep on stating the obvious?" the Slytherin drawled impatiently as he grabbed her by the elbow successfully cutting off her retort, steering her towards the Potter's house. Draco let go of the Gryffindor and went to reach for the door, trying the doorknob, which, unfortunately did not budge on his command.

"What, are you going to break in there too?" Hermione scoffed as she watched the ex-Deatheater work through the wards.

"Oh granger, you know me so well," Draco grinned at her, and with one final flick of his wand the front door swung open, "Get in"

"No way! I'm not going to be a part of your crime and I'll have you—oof!" Hermione stumbled in the Potter's household, landing on her bum, on account of Draco shoving her inside, "Hey you stupid ferret, I—"

The Gryffindor choked back a scream as she saw James Potter's face mere inches away from hers,

"W-what's happening?" she stammered out

"I was hoping you would have the answer to that," Draco's voice came from behind her and she felt herself being pulled up. Hermione eyed the little boy who was frozen in time. He looked like he was running towards the door as if excited to greet someone who had just arrived. Draco steered her towards the living room where she found her best friend and his wife in the same state, still and unmoving like statues made of flesh.

Harry was hunched over the fireplace, stoking the fire. He looked like he had heard the doorbell ring because his head was turned towards the direction of the door. Pansy was sitting delicately on the sofa sipping her tea. The Gryffindor approached the boy-who-lived and ran her fingers on his cheek.

"He still feels warm," Hermione said thoughtfully as she retracted her hand, "This is really bizarre. I don't think my research covered this."

"I noticed that Potter had stopped visiting me since that day I fixed things with Pansy," Draco offered, "When I went to look for him, this was what I found."

Hermione shivered, she felt uneasy being there. Her friends' frozen states reminded her of the human replicas at the wax museums her parents used to take her—she hated wax museums.

"That's not all," Draco motioned her with his head to follow him and the Gryffindor complied falling in step beside him. He led her out the Potter household and further into the community, stopping in front of the park.

"Oh no," Hermione said softly

Godric's Hollow stood still, every witch, every wizard, every living creature stood in suspended animation.

"What do you think—" The witch started to say but the Slytherin cut her off

"What the are those?

"What?" Hermione blinked in confusion as she followed his gaze down to her feet. She flushed with embarrassment, "They're bunny slippers. You know, to wear around your bedroom…"

The Slytherin stared at her before bursting out into laughter, clutching his sides as the Gryffindor glared at him.

"Ha ha very funny. Can we please act like adults now? We have bigger things to worry about"

"You're right, you're right" Draco panted as he tried to make himself stop laughing at the witch.

The Gryffindor put her hands on her hips, "As I was saying—"

The ex-deatheater burst into laughter again, "I'm s-s-orry, I just c-can't take you s-seriously in t-those"

Hermione fumed.

Draco sighed, wiping the tears that formed in his eyes, "Alright come on then. Let's get you home before you murder _me_"

The Slytherin grinned at the witch as he offered her his arm to her once more. The Gryffindor threw him one last dirty look before he wrapped her fingers around his awaiting arm.

**xxx**

"Why didn't you just apparate us back to my apartment?" Hermione hissed as she self-consciously hugged herself while passers-by at Diagon Alley perused her choice in clothing.

"I was about to but then I remembered that I hated muggle London and decided to come here instead" Draco said nonchalantly, "Besides I'm hungry. Let's go eat"

Hermione glared at the Slytherin who rolled his eyes exasperatedly at her, "Would you _relax?_ Live a little. These people won't even remember you tomorrow so _let's go__._"

The Gryffindor winced at the humiliation she was about to put herself through but she followed the Slytherin into a cafe nonetheless. They sat themselves near the window, a poor choice in Hermione's opinion, as she now could not seem to stop herself from stealing glances out of it.

"Stop that" Draco hissed, "Are you looking for something? Your constant fidgeting is driving me insane"

"I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind, what were you saying?"

The Slytherin narrowed his eyes at the witch's odd behaviour before he spoke again, "I said, Teddy suddenly started appearing. For the past two days, ever since we visited the Potters, my mother would come into my bedroom and have Teddy in her arms. She claims she's babysitting him"

"Hmm," Hermione frowned, "I don't know what to say right now. I'll admit that I'm stumped. We can't know for sure what's happening until we fix something else in the time line. Then we'll know for sure if this is just an after effect of that. Who do you have next on your list?"

"Weaslette. I'm running some tests on her tomorrow to see what I can find," The Slytherin replied not missing the fact that the Gryffindor was now back to stealing glances out the window, "Someone else started appearing too, I thought you might want to know. It's—"

"Ron," Hermione whispered under her breath

Draco frowned, "Yeah, why have you seen him lately? Hello? Granger?"

Hermione abruptly stood up, causing her fork to clatter noisily against her plate, "I'm sorry I have to go"

"Granger—"

The Gryffindor didn't wait to hear the rest as she dashed out of the cafe. She felt faint and light-headed and her heart thumped against her ribcage painfully with every step she took.

"Granger!" she heard Draco call to her and she knew he was trying to catch up to her as she weaved in through the hordes of wizards and witches on their weekend shopping trip. Hermione ran faster and soon Draco's voice was drowned out by a loud, deafening crash.

* * *

**Saturday Number Sixteen**

"First of all, What the _hell_ was that?" Draco burst into the witch's bedroom, angry about her sudden flight in Diagon Alley, "And second of all, I cannot _believe_ you made me come here again. Do you _know_ how much I hate your muggle apartment"

The Gryffindor merely rolled over to her other side as to face away from the intruder.

"Don't ignore me!"

The Slytherin glared at the purple lump on the bed which was the witch wrapped around her blanket like a giant cocooned silkworm.

"You look ridiculous" Draco spat

Hermione didn't budge nor did she say anything.

"Fine, be difficult," The Slytherin said narrowing his eyes at the witch as he took of his coat and hung it on the Gryffindor's bedpost. He then proceeded to roll up his sleeves and lie himself down on the space beside the muggle-born, stretching out with his hands behind his head.

Alarmed by the sudden flush of warmth and the extra weight on her bed, Hermione stole a peek at the Healer now lying down beside her, staring at her ceiling thoughtfully, "What do you think you're doing?

"Ah, she speaks"

"What do you want, Malfoy"

"For you to get out of bed"

"No" Hermione said stubbornly as she turned away from him again, planting her head firmly on her pillow

"Then I guess I'm just going to have to stay here," Draco said, eyeing as the Gryffindor with a smirk.

The Gryffindor showed no signs of having heard him but Draco knew that she was irked by his words, her body stiffening beside him.

"I've got all day," Draco said in a sing-song voice

Still no response.

"Damn it Granger, snap out of it!" The healer exclaimed, losing his patience.

Hermione sniffed.

"What are you..." the Slytherin said taken aback_  
_

Hermione sniffed again.

"Are you _crying?"_ Draco said incredulously. If he had one weakness it was the sight of a woman crying—a weakness that his mother never failed to use against him when she wanted something.

The Gryffindor sniffed two more times.

The Slytherin sat up with alarm and hovered over her, "I mean it, Granger. Stop crying. I forbid you to cry"

Hermione broke out into a sob.

"Oh hell," Draco groaned, "Granger…I…er…look I'm sorry okay? Is this about the bunny slippers? I didn't mean to laugh at you...well, I did but...Hey I'll…I'll get you…red wine. Do you want red wine—Granger stop crying! I'm already apologizing to you and I haven't even done anything—"

"She's beautiful," Hermione croaked

The Slytherin blinked, "Who?"

"Lavender," the witch moaned miserably

"Right…" Draco said slowly as he settled back down, sitting with his back against the bed's headboard. He had absolutely no idea who the hell Lavender was.

"I mean, I haven't seen her in a while but I think it was her. It _had_ to be her because she was with…she was with…she was with _him"_

"Okay—"

"And they looked so happy together," Hermione wailed.

Draco shifted uncomfortably as alarm bells started going off in his head. He had a feeling that he was _not_ going to like wherever this conversation was going. Suddenly, Hermione turned around to face him and she peered out to look at the Slytherin in the eye.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" the witch asked in between sobs

"W-what?" the Slytherin stammered. The Gryffindor blinked up at him expectantly and he wondered if she had finally lost her sanity. But still, _**Did**__ he think she was beautiful?, _he thought as he allowed himself to study her.

Hermione's eyes were red and puffy and her hair had never looked more hideous as it frizzed out uncontrollably around her like an umbrella. Her pink, swollen lips quivered as she lifted her delicate fingers to wipe at her tear-stained cheeks and in that moment, as she sat there basked in morning, Draco thought that he had never seen anyone as radiant as her.

"What's brought this on?" the Slytherin said in an attempt to change the conversation, his cheeks tinged with the slightest shade of pink.

The Gryffindor sighed in defeat as she sat up beside him and hugged her knees, "I saw Ron yesterday. That's why I ran. It was just so painful to see. How can he be with someone else just after two months? It's like I meant nothing to him. Now the horrible part is he's getting...he's getting...m-maarried" Hermione started to sob again.

Draco looked at the Gryffindor with sympathy and he didn't know if it was because he had truly started caring for the witch or it was just his natural affinity to feel bad for any damsel in distress. He hesitantly put his arm around her for a side-hug and patted her arm when she surprisingly leaned in to it.

"You helped fight off dozens of deatheaters, you've bested every potions challenge Snape threw at you not to mention you broke my nose back in third year," The Slytherin tried to comfort her, "And you're crying over a wanker who can barely function without his mother? Clearly, _he_ should be the one crying for being stupid enough for losing you."

A small smile played on the Gryffindor's lips, "You really mean that?"

"Would I lie to you?"

The Gryffindor raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't answer that," Draco said flatly, "The point is, you shouldn't waste perfectly good tears on an idiot"

The muggle-born sniffed, "You're right, I can't believe I'm actually saying this but, you're right. Pathetic, aren't I?"

"Well..."

"Shut up," Hermione laughed and then sighed, "God, why am I even talking to you about this? You're the one person in this entire time-loop who doesn't like me"

"That's not true. Lucius doesn't like you either"

Hermione glared at the Slytherin.

Draco chuckled, "I'm joking. Granger, would I be here right now in this disgusting muggle apartment if I didn't like you?"

"Do you mean _that_?"

"Yes," The Healer said exasperatedly, "Slytherins are capable of telling the truth you know"

The witch beamed up at him and for some unexplainable reason Draco felt good about himself, "So does this mean that were friends now?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Must we always state the obvious?"

Hermione smiled at his repeated statement from yesterday.

"You know, I've always wanted a ferret for a friend," she teased

"Well, I can't say I've always wanted a know-it-all for a friend but…I guess I can make an exception" Draco pretended to grimace

Hermione laughed as she settled herself beside him once again, her head lightly resting on his arm. Draco was warm and comforting contrary to his icy exterior and the witch could not help but feel better. She didn't know how he always managed to do that but she was thankful that he did—especially now that they were stuck in this lonely reality with no one but each other. The two stayed that way for a long time.

"So…" Draco started slowly, deciding to break the silence, "Now that were friends I don't suppose you could make me some more of those pancakes?"

The Gryffindor glared at the Slytherin.

"So, _no _pancakes?" he clarified

Hermione rolled her eyes and Draco sighed and retracted his arm from behind her, "Fine, but just so you know, I _will_ have my pancakes one way or another. Anyway, I have to go. I'm late for my lunch with the Weaslette. The two of us can't stay in here and mope. We still need to figure out a way out of here."

"I wish you'd stop calling her that"

Draco put on his coat and patted it down one last time before raising his eyes to watch the Gryffindor who was now trying to smooth out her hair in vain. He smiled at the sight and the wizard could not help but feel a slight twinge of warmth inside him as he looked at her.

"Hey Granger," the Slytherin called and the witch looked up just in time to see the ex-Deatheater lean in towards her. Hermione flinched as she felt his hot breath tickle her ear.

"Just for the record," he whispered, "I _do _think that you're beautiful"

And with that, he straightened himself up and headed out the door, "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't make me come here and get you again," he called out without turning around, "And lay off the red wine, I know what you use them for!"

Hermione sat in bed nodding dumbly as all her blood rushed to her head. She could not help but grin from ear to ear.

_Meow._

"Shut up Crookshanks"


	9. Drinking, Dancing and Dying

A/N: I've been hit by an extreme case of writer's block and this chapter was painstakingly horrible to write.

You will see that this chapter is not as 'action packed' as the previous chapter because I needed to transition events and character development smoothly from chapter eight and chapter ten. I was thinking of just putting chapter ten as chapter nine but then I felt like I'd be rushing some aspects of Hermione and Draco's 'relationship

That being said, I hope you still enjoy this chapter even if it is mostly happening through Hermione and Draco's conversations. Thanks for reading! :D

* * *

**Saturday Number Seventeen**

Draco hunched over his desk at St. Mungo's massaging his temples in an attempt to save what's left of his sanity. In front of him was a flurry of activity—a bushy-haired witch paced back and forth, stopping once in a while in front of his desk to shuffle some papers around then continue on her way to carving her footprints on his perfectly polished, wooden floor.

"This doesn't make any sense!" the witch exclaimed, plopping herself on the chair in front of him. She slumped on the furniture and threw her head back, frowning at the ceiling.

"Thank merlin," the Slytherin muttered to himself, finally finding peace in his tiny office.

Hermione tilted her head down to shoot a glare at the Healer, "This is serious, Draco. What are we going to do?"

"Alcohol sounds good right about now,"

The witch's glare intensified and the blonde sighed in defeat. This morning's topic of debate was about a certain Ginny Weasley whose test results had just gone back. To say that it was bad news was putting it lightly and the Gryffindor witch was not taking it well.

Two hours after receiving said test results, Draco's office had turned into a storage of medical books, piles and piles of them occupying every floor space it could find as the muggleborn threw herself into a whirlwind of blood thirsty research. The Slytherin was unfortunately caught in the storm.

"Granger, these things happen. People die, it's a part of life,"

"No I refuse to let her die!" Hermione exclaimed at the healer, now back on her feet, "How could you just accept this! There must be another way!"

"You know there's none," Draco said in a surprisingly calm manner, "Maybe what Weasley really needs right now isn't a cure. It's acceptance"

The witch slumped back in her chair. She knew that Draco was right the first time he had explained the results to her. Even before she had flipped frantically over all those books for that one small flicker of hope of proving the healer wrong, she had known: Ginny Weasley was going to die.

Draco watched the witch grow smaller in her chair and he felt a small pang of pity because he had never seen the Gryffindor look so defeated. The fact of the matter is, Ginny Weasley was beyond repair.

It was true that he had discovered the cure for magical cancer but his only patient had been Narcissa, after which he given up his research to the other healers to practice instead, retiring himself to the maternity ward.

His mother had been lucky, only suffering from a cracked magical core. And though finding the cure for it was tricky, it was not impossible. It was like healing a cut on your skin—a bit of ointment and time was all really one needed. He had to develop 15 spells and 12 potions to cure her but in the end the crack in her magical core closed up.

Ginny was suffering from a broken magical core, the cancer having eaten away parts of it. The cure itself seems quite simple: to replace the core with a donor's whose magical core was compatible and similar to hers. The impossibility, however, comes from the fact that every witch and wizard was born with a _unique_ magical core—making them one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.

"You're right," Hermione finally said softly, meeting the gaze of the silver-eyed Slytherin, "I knew you were right the first time you said it"

"And yet you still destroyed my office," the Gryffindor heard the Healer, despite him muttering under his breath

The witch let go of a small smile and then buried her head in her hands, "Oh what we going to do, Draco? How are we going to fix this?"

The blonde Slytherin stood up and walked behind the Gryffindor, putting his hands on her shoulders. The witch flinched and looked up at him, blinking up in confusion.

"We are going to get a drink," Draco said gravely, "I wasn't kidding about the alcohol."

**xxx**

"Granger, your parents are freaking me out. They're just standing there, staring at me," Draco whispered to the witch as he gulped down the remaining red wine in his glass.

The pair had found themselves back at the Gryffindor's apartment—much to the Slytherin's displeasure. Although his opinion was quite changed after they had raided the witch's "special occasions" cupboard where fifteen bottles of red wine sat waiting for them. After five glasses of the red liquid the two found their worries melt away, making them sink into a peaceful and calm state of drunkenness.

"For the love of Merlin," Hermione said as she snatched the picture frame from the Healer's long spider-like fingers and set it back down on the side table where it belonged, "For the last time, they're muggle photos, they don't move and they can't see you. Now stop being annoying and stop touching my stuff."

Draco rolled his eyes as he poured himself another glass and sank into the witch's couch once again. He sighed and he took a sip, his mind was becoming fuzzy although he could not fathom why. He could usually hold his liquor well but something about the muggleborn's place made him lose all sense of himself. For once he felt like he was in a home, warm and welcoming, unlike the cold emptiness of the manor.

"Hey look, the moon is out. You've made it till' six today," the witch commented as she looked out the opened balcony doors.

True enough, as the Slytherin turned his head to follow the witch's gaze, the pale silver light greeted Draco for the first time in days. There always something about the night that comforted him and he was glad he was finally able to see it.

"You know, I haven't been in here in a while. Not since he left me," Hermione said softly sighing into her wine glass as she took the seat beside the Slytherin on the couch, leaning her back against the armrest to face him.

"In your apartment?" the Slytherin's eyebrows furrowed with confusion as he turned his attention back to her.

"No, here in the living room. This was the last place I've ever talked to him"

"Who are we talking about?"

"Ron" Hermione said exasperatedly

Draco groaned, "Why does it always have to be Weasley?"

Hermione winced, "Sorry. I tend to bring him up a lot, huh?"

The Slytherin eyed the Gryffindor before setting his glass down and standing up.

"Where are you going?" the witch asked slight panicked that she had scared her companion away.

Draco didn't reply and simply pried off the wine glass from the Gryffindor's grasp, took her hands, and pulled her up to her feet. The next thing the Gryffindor knew they were slow dancing on the balcony, to the music that seemed to only be playing in the Slytherin's head.

"Why are we dancing?"

"You're upset"

"So?"

Draco frowned trying to remember _why_ they were actually dancing, "I used to do this for my mother a lot. When she was upset, I'd dance with her. It often calmed her down"

"Is this what you do to all your damsel in distresses?" Hermione teased.

"Well…" a smirk broke out of the Slytherin's lips, "We _could_ have sex"

The Gryffindor raised her hand to hit him almost instinctively, which, the Slytherin seeker caught with ease. He leaned in closer to whisper to her, "But I didn't think that was your style at all"

"Pervert," Hermione found herself saying to him for the second time, her face flushing dangerously hot. The Slytherin grinned at her, not even bothering to deny the accusation and despite her better judgment, she found herself melting into the comforting rhythm of the dance once again.

"This is weird, isn't it?" the Gryffindor said softly

"It's not weird at all. We're friends," Draco said as-a-matter-of-factly

"Yeah but you only said that because you wanted me to make you some pancakes"

"What? Not even!" The Slytherin pretended to be hurt for a second and then smiled dreamily, "God I really want pancakes. Do you have—"

"No."

The healer sighed dramatically, "What kind of a friendship is this?"

"The kind that doesn't entitle you to be served breakfast food at your every whim"

"It's the worst kind yet," Draco shook his head solemnly, partially missing his idiotic friends who would do his bidding

Hermione laughed and let her head rest on his shoulder. Normally she wouldn't do this but seven glasses of red wine made her braver than she already was.

"How do you always manage to do that?"

"Do what?" the Slytherin frowned thinking that he had upset the Gryffindor yet again.

"You're rude, arrogant, and selfish. You always insult me, tease me, argue with me—"

"Okay I get it—"

"Yet you always make me feel better," The Gryffindor said softly against his shoulder, "I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me"

"There _is_ something wrong with you, you're dancing with an ex-deatheater"

"Really?" Hermione raised her eyebrow at him, "That's what you got from what I said?"

Draco shrugged.

"And I don't think of you a Deatheater. You're more like a Deatheater's cute little puppy"

"You think I'm cute?" Draco grinned at her. If he was in the right state of mind, he'd probably be really grateful that Hermione didn't think of him as a Deatheater.

"Your selective hearing when you're drunk astounds me," the witch shook her head and laughed, "Hey, Draco?"

The pair stopped dancing and the Slytherin chose this time to lean on the railing of the balcony.

"I've been thinking about what you said. About Ginny wanting acceptance?" Hermione said wringing her fingers, "Well I thought that maybe I should take her to Ron's wedding with me to see her family. She hasn't been in contact with them in a while and in the original time line she never attended…"

"Weasley's wedding?" Draco said with a frown, the name leaving a bad taste in his mouth

The witch nodded, "Yes, it's tonight actually. I've been avoiding it but I think now is the time to pluck up the courage to do it, right?"

The Slytherin's frown deepened at the sudden pang of overprotectiveness he felt towards the Gryffindor at the thought of her being in the presence of Weasley. It felt new to him to feel that way for someone else other than his mother who he had been caring for as long as he could remember. It deeply unnerved him.

"Well, what I was trying to get at was, would you come with me tomorrow?," Hermione looked up at him hopefully, "I don't want to do it alone"

Draco shrugged, "Sure, why not"

"Really?" Hermione blinked up at him

"What?"

"Nothing, I just thought you'd put up more of a fight"

"It's Weasley's wedding, of course I'm going to go. Can you imagine the look on his face when he sees me there? I'd probably be ruining the greatest day of his life. What could be better than that?" The Slytherin said dreamily, _besides, I can keep an eye on you._

"And I thought you were doing it out of the goodness in your heart"

"_Goodness_ in my heart?" Draco scoffed, "It's like you don't know me at all"

"Shut up," Hermione tried to look stern but failed miserably and laughed as she playfully punched the Slytherin in the arm. Draco caught her hand and pulled her closer.

"Draco, what you doing..." The Gryffindor's breath hitched as the Slytherin's silver eyes lingered on her face. She watched him sigh and close his eyes and ever so slowly, start to lean towards her.

Hermione erupted with panic as the thought that Draco was about to kiss her crossed her mind. _Don't be stupid Hermione. It's just a kiss. Besides you've always wondered what it was like to kiss him right? Well now's your chance!_ The Gryffindor tried convince herself as she studied his face but the closer he got the more her resolve melted away. In the end, she ended up pushing him back frantically.

Now, if Hermione had only waited a few more seconds she would have realised that Draco was _not_ actually trying to kiss her but was actually falling asleep. But that wasn't the case. Draco's eyes fluttered open with surprise as he lost his balance on the railing. The Gryffindor realized a second too late why the Healer had suddenly disappeared from her view.

"Granger!" She could hear him scream angrily as he raced to the ground.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione shouted from the balcony,

"Er...Were's still on for tomorrow right?" the witch hesitantly continued, for lack of better judgment

There was a disgusting cracking sound as his body hit the pavement followed by the gruesome display of blood spilling on the cold cement.

Hermione leaned her elbows against the balcony and sighed glumly, "I better make him pancakes tomorrow"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for killing Ginny for all you Ginny lovers out there.

P.S. If you have opinions on the progress of Draco and Hermione's relationship please feel free to share them. (If its going too fast or too slow or is if its generally confusing you as to what direction it's heading) I'd really appreciate it :)


	10. The Weasley Nuptials

**A/N: **This is the longest time I've gone without updating and I'm sorry for that. My prof's think that I had too much fun this summer vacation and decided to give us a buttload of homework. It's been a horrible first three weeks and I've been using my free time for sleep. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Saturday Number Eighteen**

"How do I look?"

"Like you've been mauled by a hippogriff"

"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed in a panicked voice as she frantically fussed about trying to correct whatever was wrong with her appearance. She gave up and unceremoniously dropped the tube of mascara she was holding to fix her ruined eye make-up. It clattered noisily against the porcelain sink as the witch started pacing, "This was a mistake!"

The two were standing in the bathroom at Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry—where the Weasley-Brown nuptials were being held. The night has started awful for the two and the Gryffindor Princess knew that she should have known better—that people were going to talk whether it was about the fact that Ron had quickly married after their break-up or that she came to his wedding with Draco Malfoy. But what she couldn't stand most of all was that everyone offered her pity.

The Slytherin didn't say anything and just stood there watching the Gryffindor break down in front of him. The two had just finished watching the wedding ceremony and stepped out for a moment to breathe before they attended the reception.

"We shouldn't have come here. I thought I could handle it, but I can't. Just seeing the two of them and how beautiful the ceremony is, I just can't help but wonder that this could've been my wedding—"

"Enough with the pity party" Draco drawled from where he was standing

"_Excuse_ me?"

"You've done nothing but feel sorry for yourself with your woe-is-me speeches—quite frankly, I'm sick of it. Why don't you do us both a favor and be honest with what you really want"

"I'm already telling you!" Hermione shouted back angrily, "I just want to move past this and let them be happy but I can't because it hurts too much"

"Bullshit," Draco narrowed his eyes, "This isn't even about Weasley anymore—you've moved way past _that._ This is about your fucking pride. You can't _stand_ it that everyone out there is pitying you. It's because you hate losing. You've always been perfect Hermione Granger and now suddenly somebody who you considered to be beneath you has beaten you. Now tell me Granger, why are you still being so pathetic. What do you want?_"_

Hermione whimpered, "I don't know what you want me to say"

"The truth," the Slytherin commanded firmly

"No," Hermione protested weakly

"What do you want Granger!" the Slytherin shouted at her

The witch flamed up with anger, "Well what do you want me to say? That I'm angry? That I can't stand the sight of the two of them together? Well you're right!"

"Yes!" Draco exclaimed

"I want justice. I want an explanation. I want him Ron to tell me why this wedding is happening because it's completely humiliating and it makes me feel worthless to him"

"YES"

"And I want nothing more that to rip Ron Weasley apart into tiny little pieces and set him on fire. I want him to feel the same hurt and humiliation he put me through," the witch was on a roll

"Ye—yeah…that's a bit…but okay, yes," the Slytherin said cautiously, slightly backing away.

Hermione sighed and buried her face in her hands, sobbing as the anger and thirst for justice and revenge that she had kept hidden deep down inside flowed her like water breaking free from a dam. Draco stood in front of the witch and lifted her head to force her to look at him and cupped her cheeks with hands, wiping of the tearstains with his thumb.

"Now, you're going to stop crying, you're going to stop being so pathetic and you are going to go back out there and get what you want." Draco smirked at her.

Hermione looked at him through her tears, "That was the most horrible pep talk anyone has ever given me"

The Slytherin chuckled, "Well..."

The Gryffindor sighed yet again, "What good would that do? What would I even get out of that?"

"Your life back," Draco answered simply, "You finally might be able to move on about this. It's time to stop wondering why"

"I…I can't," the witch stammered and shook her head, "I can't go back out there. Do you see how people look at me?"

"Yes, you can"

"How could you possibly know that?"

The Slytherin turned the witch around so that they were both looking at their reflection on the mirror. Draco kept his eyes on her as he spoke,

"Because you're Hermione _fucking_ Granger"

Hermione suddenly felt a swell of pride deep down here and nodded with determination, "Yeah!"

"And nobody messes with you"

"Yeah!"

"And Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"You really _do_ look like you've been mauled by a hippogriff"

"Oh go to hell"

* * *

The two found their way back down to the Great Hall where the wedding reception was being transfigured into place. The altars and the pews had converted themselves into dining tables and a mini-stage. The tall wooden doors were the only thing keeping them and the impending doom of gossip.

"Shall we?" Draco offered his arm in a mockingly, gentleman way

Hermione draped hers in his almost frantically, "Oh merlin, have mercy on my soul."

"Well if everything goes horribly wrong and you end up in tears again, I could always set Weasley's hair on fire," Draco chuckled, "Wouldn't that be funny? He'd actually have _flaming_ red hair"

Hermione gave him a pointed look and the Slytherin swallowed his laughter, "You Gryffindors really need to get a sense of humor"

"Just open the damn door"

The wedding reception looked spectacular and the room was frosted with small white crystals that gave the feel of white, wedding elegance. Hermione and Draco made their way towards the table they were assigned to, both aware of the buzzing whispers that followed their wake.

"Malfoy! Hermione!" Ginny stood up from the table as she saw them approach, "Looks like were assigned to the same table"

The Gryffindor frowned as she studied where they were placed—almost near the corner of the room, far from anything happening.

"Real subtle of them don't you think?" Draco said pulling out a chair for the muggleborn

Hermione shrugged and sat down, the youngest Weasley followed suit, "Ginny, why are you here?"

The redhead gave a small smile, "Mum and I aren't really on the best terms and seeing as I haven't spoken to any of my family members in a long time they just figured I wasn't going to come"

Ginny caught sight of the Slytherin raising an eyebrow at her and answered the question in his eyes, "We had a big fight"

Draco shrugged and picked off a name card from one of the empty seats. It read H. Potter, "So Potter's invited too I take it?"

"Yeah but he never—" Hermione caught herself and threw a glance at Ginny, "I mean, he isn't coming."

"Saint Potter isn't coming to his boyfriend's wedding?" Draco smirked

"Pansy doesn't like Ron very much"

The Slytherin nodded at the mention of his closest friend. He knew exactly how talented that woman was with avoiding people she didn't like and unfortunately for Harry, she wore the pants in that family.

The three turned their attention towards the stage as the host started speaking. The night began with the bride and groom's cake cutting and their sickening display of affection drove Hermione to her first glass of champagne. Next came the newlywed's "parade" where they stopped at every table to take a picture of with their guests.

Hermione nervously watched them as they got nearer and nearer, gulping down glass after glass. By the time the couple had reached their table the Gryffindor had just downed her fifth glass and was buzzing enough to forget what she was supposed to be feeling at that moment.

"Ron, Lavender! Congratulations," Ginny greeted brightly at the sight of her brother

"Yes, the wedding is beautiful," Hermione forced a smile, "Lavender, you look amazing. It must have taken _ages_ for you to look like that"

Lavender, formerly Brown, laughed emptily and replied with the same forced tone, "I can say the same for you"

The two laughed good-naturedly but Draco could see the daggers they threw at each other with their eyes. The Slytherin smiled into his glass.

The Weasley's blue eyes winced with pain as it bore on the Gryffindor, "Thank you, Hermione. Ginny it's so great to see you. I'm sorry about mum…she's kind of—"

"It's alright, Ron," Ginny shook her head dismissively, "It's no big deal"

"So, Hermione," Lavender said so pleasantly that it was unpleasant, "You seem to be hanging around with…a different crowd these days" The blonde smiled at the Slytherin's direction as she finished her sentence.

"You mean, healers?" Hermione answered innocently, "Well, yes, it _is_ a joy to be around them. They're very intellectual, you know? It's quite refreshing to finally be able to talk to someone who can actually keep up."

"Actually, I was going to say deathea—" Lavender's tone suddenly turned cold, not missing the implication of the muggleborn's statement.

"O-kay!" Ginny exclaimed, "Why don't we take the photograph?"

"That sound like a great idea, Gin," Ron said stiffly, finally speaking up as he position him and his bride to pose behind the three. He couldn't help but eye the Slytherin who now draped his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Well, I guess we'll see you around," Lavender exclaimed after the photograph was shot, "I'm assuming that you three are staying until the end"

"Oh we wouldn't miss it for the world," Hermione said sweetly.

The newly crowned Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes at the Gryffindor before turning away, dragging her husband behind her.

"Hermione, I think you should cut back on the champagne," Ginny laughed

"No way, Weasley," Draco said, "This is the best thing that's happened all night."

* * *

The night rolled on with the dinner service and then the bride and groom's first dance. It had remained uneventful so far and the only thing worth mentioning was the Gryffindor princess and Slytherin prince sharing a slow dance as well.

"May I cut in?"

Draco looked back at the person who spoke behind him and came face to face with the groom himself. The Slytherin's eyes turned cold, "Weasel"

"Ron," Hermione jumped in surprise

The Slytherin looked towards the Gryffindor to wait for her response. He stepped aside to let the redhead in when she nodded. He squeezed her hand one last time before letting go as if to tell her that it was going to be alright. Hermione smiled at him and spoke softly as she thanked the healer.

The Weasley watched as the pureblood disappeared into the crowd to do merlin knows what, "Malfoy? Really?"

The Gryffindor's face tightened at the condescending tone directed at her new found friend, "Yes, _Draco_. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I know you're mad at me and that's fine," Ron said, "In fact, I'm grateful you decided to come today. But Malfoy? You shouldn't lower yourself to that standard"

"Excuse me?" Hermione scoffed

"Hermione, you're with a bloody Deatheater,"

The witch stopped dancing with the groom and crossed her arms, "How _dare_ you decide for me who I can and can't hang out with. Your right to be concerned with me expired the day you left me for nothing. And just so you know, Draco is a really good person and he's been a great friend so you have no right to talk about him that way when you don't even know him.

And with that Hermione pushed herself and pushed herself away from the Weasley and into the crowd in search of this "great friend" of her, leaving the redhead staring after her. She caught sight of the unmistakable blonde hair and moved to approach him but stopped in her tracks when she saw that he was already preoccupied with dancing with somebody. The Gryffindor inched a little forward until the Slytherin's partner came into view and a lump in her throat rose when she saw Lavender Weasley nee Brown. From where she was standing behind the Slytherin, she could hear the words he was saying.

"Give it up, Malfoy," Lavender sneered at him, "Why are you _really_ here?"

Draco inwardly groaned. As to why he had found himself unwillingly in the clutches of this hag, he did not know. He wanted nothing more than to get rid of this cow and get back to his muggleborn whose ivory skin was wrapped in deep green satin. Draco frowned, _his_ muggleborn? He wondered when he got so possessive.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm hanging onto every word," the Slytherin drawled as he scanned the crowd for the brunette but without the knowledge that she was already standing behind him he really had no way of seeing where she was.

Draco sighed, "Well, this has been morbidly depressing and not fun at all but I have to go"

The bride tightened her grip on the pureblood, "Look, I don't know why you're here with _her—_in fact, I don't know why she even bothered showing up at all. But I know you two are up to something, and you and that _whore_ better not ruin my wedding night"

The Slytherin's silver eyes turned cold as it bore down on the new Mrs. Weasley and she shivered beneath them. He leaned closer to her and spoke in a low menacing voice, "Your wedding was already ruined six months ago when you got pregnant. So, _Mrs. Weasley_, I think you're mistaken as to who the whore is in this situation"

Lavender paled and gaped at the pureblood who straightened himself up to his full height, making him seem even more intimidating. She consciously touched her stomach, "H-how…"

"You should've listened to Granger when she told you I was a healer. I specialize with maternity care. I can see through your pathetic glamour charms," Draco said coldly before he turned around and walked away.

Hermione ducked behind a group of people before the Slytherin could spot her. Her heart was racing at what she had just heard. She stole one last glance at the newly crowned Mrs. Weasley still rooted to her spot in shock before she quickly made her way outside the hall.

When Draco got back to the table he found it disturbingly lacking of one muggleborn witch, "Weaslette, have you seen Granger?"

The redhead looked up from what looked like a deep conversation with surviving Weasley twin, "Wasn't she dancing with you?"

Draco frowned and absentmindedly sat down on his seat and the thought of her still being with the Weasel bothered him to no end.

* * *

Hermione didn't return until the crowd at the dance floor started to thin out and the guests resumed their position in their seats. The host announced that it was now time for the toast and invited anyone who wanted to give their best wishes to come forward.

"Where have you been?" Draco narrowed his eyes at the witch

The witch giggled so hard that the nearby tables turned to look at her, "Silly Draco, I was here all evening!"

The Slytherin raised his eyebrow at her, "I don't think I've ever heard anyone attach the word silly to my name before—a clear sign that you've hit your limit. How much more did you drink?"

"Pfft!" Hermione rolled her eyes, "It wasn't even a lot. Maybe six. Or seven. _Not_ more than eight"

"Okay…" Draco said slowly while prying the glass currently in her hands, "So I'm just going to take this…"

"No!" the Gryffindor protested

"You sit back down, I've just had about enough of you, young lady!" the Slytherin mock scolded her.

Hermione sat back down and crossed her arms while pouting. Draco shot an exasperated look at Ginny and mouthed, 'what is wrong with her?' to which the Weasley merely shrugged, clearly also at a loss for an explanation for her best friend's odd behavior.

"Would anyone else like to give well wishes to the bride and groom?" the host announced

"Oh, me! Pick me!" Hermione exclaimed, her hand shooting up in the air.

A small group of laughter emerged from the crowd as they were once again reminded of the muggleborn's enthusiasm for class participation.

The host laughed, "Well come on down"

The Gryffindor jumped up from her seat with overbearing joy but before she could take another step, the Slytherin grabbed her by her wrist.

"What are you doing," he hissed at her

Hermione giggled pried his hands off of her, "Don't worry, I know the answer to this one"

"Answer to what?" an irritated Draco replied, but his question fell on deaf ears as the witch made her way in front. When she got there, she curtsied to the newlyweds and took out her wand to preform a Sonorus. She looked back and smiled at Draco as if to say 'I hope you're watching this'

The Slytherin winced as he watched the train wreck about to unfold.

"Hi," Hermione giggled, "First of all, congratulations both of you. This wedding was truly beautiful" The couple smiled but it were clearly showing signs of discomfort.

"Lavender," the witch continued, "You look beautiful tonight and it's a shame that I never really got to know you before. I mean the only thing I knew about you is that you're the bitch that tried to steal my boyfriend," Hermione laughed while the audience gasped.

The bride was livid.

"And now that were here," the muggle born laughed, "I now know you as the bitch that _did_ steal my boyfriend. So I guess, congratulations? You've truly outdone yourself"

By now the audience held a stony silence as they awaited the next few words that would come tumbling out from the witch. Ron's blue eyes pleaded with her but Hermione dismissed it.

"But enough about the bride, the main reason why I came here was to support **you**, Ron Weasley, on the greatest day of your life," the witch turned around to speak to the audience, "As everyone knows, Ron Weasley and I have been together for six years and two months ago—yes, _just_ **two, measly** months ago, he had dumped me because I apparently 'did not fit into his plans anymore'.

"Hermione…" Ron winced from behind her.

"Imagine my surprise when I found out he was getting married today. At first I thought that the problem was me. I felt so bad about myself, I felt so humiliated that I could not even bare to face you people for the longest time. But after much thought and careful analysis I realized that it wasn't me. I was a _great_ girlfriend. I cared for him, I was faithful to him, and I loved him."

"Hermione, that's enough" the groom spoke more firmly

"No," Hermione laughed, "I wasn't the problem at all. I think the problem was that Lavender, our darling new Mrs. Weasley, was four months pregnant at that time—six months as off today. Yes, I didn't fit into his plans to start a family with Lavender Brown"

The room was in an uproar of gasps and whispers.

"You fucking told her?!" The bride screeched towards the table by the corner of the room where a certain Slytherin was sitting. Everyone turned to look at him

Draco put his hands up, "Whoa, whoa, **whoa. **Keep your hair on you hag, I didn't tell her anything"

"He's telling the truth," Hermione brought back the crowd's attention to her as she addressed the couple once again, "I overheard the two of you talking. At first I didn't want to believe it—not that I didn't trust Draco's diagnosis. You're an excellent healer, Draco"

"Thank you," The Slytherin shrugged

"You're Welcome," Hermione beamed at him and then turned back towards the couple, "But I just needed to see for myself. So I followed you around and I did my own spellchecks. And really words cannot even begin to express what I felt when I found a baby girl growing inside of Lavender"

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Ron said weakly

"So tell me, Ronald" Hermione asked quietly demanded, keeping her gaze on her ex-boyfriend, "How long?"

"Hermione..." the redhead started

"How long!" the witch demanded again

"Hermione please, this isn't the time—"

"How long did you _fucking_ cheat on me!"

It took the Weasley a long time to reply, his blue eyes begging her for the forgiveness he didn't deserve, "A year"

The Gryffindor shook her head and blinked back her tears, "Well, congratulations both of you. You two really deserve each other."

Hermione ran.

The witch cut through the great hall and burst out the double doors into the night. The stars danced furiously above and the wind howled in her ear. She didn't dare look back. She didn't know where she was going but the only thing that mattered was that she wasn't there.

"Granger!"

The voice tugged at the Gryffindor.

"GRANGER!"

Hermione felt her will to run weaken.

"Would you bloody stop running!" Draco grabbed the Gryffindor and whirled her around to face him. He held her by the arms to keep her in place while he caught his breath.

The Gryffindor took one look at the Slytherin before she lunged herself at him and buried her head in his chest. Draco was taken aback but eventually circled his arms around the witch, bringing her even closer to him.

"I want to go home," Hermione said in broken words

The Slytherin merely hugged her tighter and rested his cheek on her head. With a loud crack the two disappeared from the watchful eyes of the stars.

* * *

Hermione laid in her bed under the covers with only her head peeking out. Everything about that night had seemed surreal and she felt a crushing wave of numbness pass over her. She silently watched the Slytherin move around her. As soon as they got home, Draco had guided her into her bedroom and tucked her in for bed.

"Well, goodnight, Granger" The Slytherin softly said as he hovered over her.

"Please don't leave me,"

Draco sighed, "And how would that work?"

"I don't know I just don't want to be alone," The Gryffindor begged

"Any minute now, merlin knows what, is going to kill me. Do you really want to be around me when that happens?"

"I don't care, just…" Hermione bit back a sob, "…stay"

The Slytherin studied the muggleborn for a while before he nodded and walked around to the other side of the bed. He loosened his tie and hung it on the bedpost along with his coat and settled himself beside the Gryffindor. Hermione turned to her side to face him, "Am I a horrible person for ruining the wedding?"

"For ruining Weasley's wedding? No. I think you're a marvellous person"

Hermione smiled softly and ignored the comment, "I'm sorry for making you come today"

"It's nothing"

"No it's not. You shouldn't have to deal with my…baggage. I messed up tonight, I didn't even get to help Ginny"

"So? Lot's of people mess up"

"I'm sorry anyway"

Draco turned to his side so that he was facing Hermione too, "You have nothing to apologize for"

"With Ginny being out of contact and Harry busy with his family I didn't know who to turn to when Ron left me. I felt so alone. You have no idea how grateful I am with everything you've done for me. And I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I'm really glad that you're my *friend, Draco"

Draco smirked half-heartedly, "Well, it's not like there were a lot of choices for friends around here"

Hermione laughed and Draco joined in after a while. Then the Slytherin reached out to wipe a few stray tears from the witch's cheeks and he tucked in a strand of hair behind her ear, "You should really go to bed, Granger"

The Gryffindor softly smiled and nodded. Draco was pleasantly surprised when she made a move to settled herself in the crook of his neck, "Goodnight, Draco"

The Slytherin held her close in response to her brave action, "Goodnight, Granger"

And the two laid there in the dark, both their hearts a little bit lighter. Hermione snuggled in a little closer, the rise and fall of Draco's breathing was lulling her to sleep. She listened to the steady rhythm of his heart until it stopped beating.

* * *

**A/N: **

1. I was supposed to write in their first kiss in here but then I didn't want to put it on the same chapter as when Hermione was trying to deal with her issues. So.

2. Yes, they got married at Hogwarts because...who the hell doesn't want to get married at Hogwarts.

*****Hermione Granger is **not** friendzoning Draco Malfoy.

Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews from the previous chapter/s!


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